…dictators sense the danger of poetry, which is why poets in their regimes are routinely imprisoned, tortured, killed or forced into exile. Read more
Author: GR
In True Crime, We Find a Deep, Elusive Connection
Women love true crime. While certainly not a universal truth, it’s a generalization that feels apt enough that even SNL has noticed. On February 27, the song spoof “Murder Show,” aired to general acclaim — if the women I follow on Twitter are any indication. As the skit begins, Nick Jonas leaves his girlfriend alone for an evening of unwinding and self care. Bubble baths and sheet masks come to mind. But as soon as he shuts the door behind him, she curls up on the couch, opens Netflix, and breaks into song about the specific delight of watching murder shows. Read more
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A Novel Follows Intersecting Lives on London’s Margins
What initially looks like a collection of loosely linked short stories reveals itself to be an expertly constructed house of mirrors. Read more
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The Man Who Hated Women: Sex, Censorship, and Civil Liberties in the Gilded Age
In this important work of biographical history, novelist Sohn traces the career of Anthony Comstock (1844-1915), special agent to the U.S. Post Office and secretary of the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice. For more than 40 years, Comstock, a deeply Christian dry goods seller from Connecticut, harassed and imprisoned many of the important pioneers in the birth control movement. Read more
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A reading guide to legendary Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez
Like many writers, García Márquez began in newspapers. Aficionados and newbies alike should consider “The Scandal of the Century and Other Writings,” a wide-ranging collection illuminating the real-life political concerns and characters that shape his celebrated fiction. Read more
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The War on History Is a War on Democracy
A scholar of totalitarianism argues that new laws restricting the discussion of race in American schools have dire precedents in Europe. Read more
J.D. Vance, ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Author, Is Running for Senate in Ohio
Mr. Vance, 36, enters the campaign as a well-known and well-financed first-time candidate facing an open field. The Republican incumbent, Senator Rob Portman, is retiring after two terms. The race is one of a few in next year’s midterm elections that could determine which party controls the upper chamber of Congress, which is now split 50-50. Read more
J.P. Morgan’s librarian hid her race. A novel imagines the toll on her
Some books leave you wondering why the author has chosen to tell this particular story, and why now. This is emphatically not the case with “The Personal Librarian,” a novel about the woman who helped shape the Morgan Library’s spectacular collection of rare books and art more than a century ago. It quickly becomes clear why two popular authors, Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, have teamed up to tell this important, inspirational story. Read more
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‘Bosch’ Author Michael Connelly Reveals the Book the Spin-off Is Based On
The upcoming spin-off series picks up after the events of Season 7 of Bosch, where detective Harry Bosch turns in his badge and becomes a private investigator. Read more
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New Stamp Highlights Acclaimed Author Ursula K. Le Guin
The U.S. Postal Service honors the cross-genre writings of Ursula K. Le Guin, the acclaimed science fiction and fantasy author, with the 33rd stamp in its literary series. Read more
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