Rock of Ages
Frank Johnson finds solace in Christina Zanfagna's "Holy Hip Hop in the City of Angels."...
Hate Speech: An Imaginary Debate
Stephen Rohde offers an imaginary debate between Nadine Strossen and Richard Delgado....
The Cow Whisperer
“The Secret Life of Cows” is a collection of anecdotes dedicated to the proposition that cows are individuals and should be treated as such....
Melancholic Mythologies: “Half Gods” and the “Mahabharata”
In “Half Gods,” Akil Kumarasamy renders slow-moving pictures of Sri Lankan grief that unspool over the course of the collection....
The Cost of War: Parts and Labor
Ahmed Saadawi’s novel “Frankenstein in Baghdad” continues to win prizes for good reason: it is one of the best fictional accounts of the Iraq War yet....
Balancing Act: Richard Sennett’s “Building and Dwelling”
Richard Sennett’s notion of an “open city” articulates how to achieve, or at least think about, the ethical city in the 21st century....
An Irresponsible Obsession: Tara Isabella Burton’s “Social Creature”
Lauren Sarazen reviews Tara Isabella Burton's Patricia Highsmith–esque novel, "Social Creature."...
An Elegy for Cemeteries
A book on the rise and fall of American cemeteries....
Aimee Molloy’s Maternal Horror
The gripping horror of Aimee Molloy’s “The Perfect Mother” lies in showing us the demons of motherhood in broad daylight....
Sinking Cities
A lyrical new book on disappearing shorelines connects science to the personal....
The Sensual Music of Sex in Allegra Huston’s “Say My Name”
Allegra Huston’s debut novel is suffused with sensual feeling....
Down and Out in Silicon Valley
Justin Tyler Clark reads the funny, frightening "Live Work Work Work Die."...
