Books
Nicholas Tochka is less interested in crafting a coherent portrayal of Charles Manson’s “musical lives” than in connecting his critical hypothesis of “the invention of the Sixties” to critical theories.
“Balanchine Finds His America” is written primarily in the present tense, so that reading the book is like watching a never-to-be-repeated dance performance.
Olivia Laing’s hard-driven narrative, set mostly in 1975, combines a gay romance with a literary text about the dangers of resurfacing fascism, a discourse on 20th-century avant-garde film-making, and a political thriller.
Many of the poems in this new collection take in the world through a distinctively painterly eye for scenes and sketches.
Applying a litmus test to art — in this case ideological sanitizing — inevitably diminishes the art.
The title of this revelatory book might suggest that it’s limited to uncovering the deficiencies and biases of a particular profession. But “The Coroner’s Silence” is far more than that.
An eclectic round-up of the favorite books of the year from our critics.
Poet John Berryman’s choice of minstrelsy in his “Dream Songs” is not just a distraction that can be explained away by aficionados — it is impossible to excuse or forgive.

Book Review: “Unfinished” Argues for AI as an Artistic Partner — But at What Cost?
“Unfinished” supplies a thoughtful analysis of the relationship between music, musicians, and AI.
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