Books

Arts Feature: The Lockdown Underground — Discoveries in Isolation

July 26, 2021
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Stuck in a world where regular shopping was rare and live performances extinct, the right path seemed to be the curls and swirls of mentions and references that led to surprising new or little-known artists and fascinating new levels of famous ones.

Poetry Review: “Beowulf & Beyond” — A Rousing Night Out with Old English

July 25, 2021
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Translator Dan Veach invites us to “pull up a bench in the mead hall, grab a brew, and enjoy a jazzy new performance.”

Book Review: Louie’s Blues — Menand Chills With The Cold War Crowd

July 21, 2021
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To his credit, Louis Menand personalizes his historical cast and humanizes ideologies and aesthetics.

Author Interview: Boston’s Joseph Torra — Reflections of a Writer’s Life

July 20, 2021
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“I’m an anarchist as an artist — I write what I want, however I want. I refuse to adhere to the forms that society hands down.”

Book Review: “Books Promiscuously Read” — Playing in the Leaves

July 18, 2021
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Books Promiscuously Read sets a high standard for what might become an exciting new genre of literary criticism for educated general readers.

Book Review: How to Win the War Against Climate Change — Go Electric

July 16, 2021
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Instead of techno-utopian rhetoric, Electrify offers a plan with pragmatic steps to create a better environment and a stronger economy.

Book Review: “Strange Beasts of China” — An Exuberant Chinese Fantasy

July 15, 2021
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The volume’s spirited imagination is strong enough to compensate for flaws in its translation.

Book Review: “Mississippi Prison Writing” Offers an Unfiltered Look at Life Behind Bars

July 14, 2021
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Many of the pieces in the collection come in the form of a personal diary, and these give us a sense of the day-to-day inner lives of the prisoners.

Book Review: “The Three Veils of Ibn Oraybi” — A Lovely Exotic Fantasy

July 13, 2021
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This is a lyrical work: gracefully exaggerating reality is a merit that good poetry and fantasy share.

July Short Fuses – Materia Critica

July 9, 2021
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Each month, our arts critics — music, book, theater, dance, and visual arts — fire off a few brief reviews.

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