Books
It’s tempting to frame these books as opposing sides in an argument, Old School Establishment vs. Progressive Left. They are more like parallel universes; their opinions and even their terms rarely converge.
The poems in this remarkable collection lead us, as all good literature should do, after all the appearances and misdirections, feints and antic dispositions, to nothing but ourselves.
“We have entered an age of unequivocal partisan discourse, of linguistic robotization, of tiny symbols standing for complex emotions. In total contrast to this, Philippe Jaccottet’s writing constantly shows nuance, attentiveness, perseverance, circumspection, and a genuine quest for essential truths.”
Jimi’s sister and a Newton-based Hendrix scholar dig into the archives and come up with a coffee table book that celebrates the rock icon.
In this episode of the podcast, Elizabeth Howard talks to poets Diane Alters and Edward Hirsch about the ways we think about grief, publicly and privately.
Daniel S. Medwed demonstrates just how astronomical the odds are against anyone who tries to question a guilty verdict, no matter how suspect the conviction.
What is literature if it doesn’t kick you in the ass every now and then and get you to act? Maybe that’s what the Nobel committee thought when it awarded Annie Ernaux this year’s Literature Prize.
This is a grim and uncomfortable book to read because it forces us to contemplate each small poem separately and then take them all together, a hard but necessary exercise.
“It’s easy to see why we have such a lousy life and such great literature.”
Literary Appreciation: Grace Paley and the Swiveling Light of Truth
An homage to Grace Paley, one of the great American writers of the 20th century.
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