Books
Joseph Horowitz’s short, punchy, well-sourced, and compulsively readable book argues for bringing back the forgotten works of important Black composers.
Is it at all remotely important to know how gift-giving became a Hanukkah tradition in America?
“By cultivating our capacity for empathetic critical inquiry, Greek myths caution us against entertainers, pundits, politicians, and journalists who are trying to inflame our anger and fear.”
The poems in Winter Recipes from the Collective are about bearing with life in a barren place; they do the kind of singing Bertolt Brecht said was necessary when dealing with “the dark times.”
Magic is a performative pursuit as demanding as high-wire acrobatics — yet a vocation lacking respect, perhaps for good reason.
“Concord was actually surprisingly representative of Massachusetts, New England, and maybe even the North in the 19th century. In learning about Concord, you learn about the making of modern America.”
Hot Maroc is more of a three-ring circus than a drama, with a high-wire act at one end, tigers and elephants at the other, and scurrying clowns in the middle.
The arrival of the internet adds a sour-grapes ending to an otherwise fairly compelling narrative.
Some splendid, new (and newish) books that are sure to inspire young children.
Arts Feature: Recommended Books, 2021
An eclectic round-up of the favorite books of the year from our critics, including some disappointments.
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