Review

Book Review: “Shakespeare in a Divided America” — Illuminating the Bard’s Influence on Our History

April 5, 2020
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Shakespeare’s role in American history is not immediately apparent — at least it wasn’t to me. Part of the considerable pleasure of reading this book is seeing how James Shapiro draws the connections.

Jazz CD Reviews: Lakecia Benjamin & Dave Liebman Group — Rejuvenating the Past

April 5, 2020
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I’d have to give the edge to Dave Liebman in terms of innovative creative reach. But Lakecia Benjamin more than holds her own in how she gives re-vitalizing attention to some very important musical roots.

Music Review: Childish Gambino’s “3.15.20” — The Best (And Worst) of Both Worlds

April 4, 2020
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Childish Gambino is hamstrung by ambition, but 3.15.20 still contains a bevy of enjoyable songs, including one or two tracks that brush against brilliance.

Book Review: “August” — A Rewarding Curiosity in the Ordinary

April 4, 2020
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August is funny in a way — over time its small scale rhythms and monosyllabic reactions generate a comforting beauty that settles in.

Television Review: “The Virtues” — The Twisted Path to Redemption

April 4, 2020
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The pace of this superb mini-series is keyed to generating intimacy with the characters and their struggles.

Television Review: “Tiger King” — King of the American Jungle

April 3, 2020
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What’s so appealing about Tiger King? Perhaps it is that the lurid goings-on are so distinctively American.

Book Review: “The Art of Classic Planning” — How to Build Beautiful and Enduring Communities

April 1, 2020
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By so memorably reestablishing the fundamentals of urban design and planning, The Art of Classic Planning will be a strategic addition to any architecture or urban planning library.

Opera CD Review: A Tenor as a Villain? Donizetti’s Unusual Two-Tenor Opera Gets a First — and Fine — Recording

April 1, 2020
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An 1829 opera about Elizabeth I and her supposed lover — enlivened by underhanded threats, virtuous resistance, remorse, and an attempted poisoning — proves well worth reviving.

Book Review: “Franci’s War” — A Very Relevant Holocaust Memoir

March 31, 2020
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Here we have the story of a young Czech woman who could not only take a piece of fabric and shape it into a gorgeous dress, but could also take her experiences during WWII and shape them into a compelling memoir.

Film Review: “Vivarium” — Sheltering in Place

March 31, 2020
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Vivarium offers such a completely well-thought out narrative that it hardly matters whether we are dealing with magic realism or a satirical fable.

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