“The Devil’s Chessboard: Allen Dulles, the CIA, and the Rise of America’s Secret Government” by David Talbot is a book chronicling the collision of two powerful dynasties, the Dulles family and the Kennedy family. Continue reading The Devil’s Chessboard: Allen Dulles, the CIA, and the Rise of America’s Secret Government, by David Talbot @ NYJB
“Liberation,” edited and with an introduction by Mark Ludwig, casts a global net to find out what poets think about the concept of freedom. Continue reading Liberation, Edited and Introduced by Mark Ludwig
Horizontal Collaboration, by Mel Gordon is “an illuminating linguistic, cartographic, and historical exploration of Parisian lusts.” Continue reading Horizontal Collaboration: The Erotic World of Paris, 1920–1946, by Mel Gordon @ NYJB
This week I continue my series American Odd with an essay about “The Book of the SubGenius” by J.R. “Bob” Dobbs. Continue reading American Odd: The Book of the SubGenius, by J.R. “Bob” Dobbs
This week I review Seth Kaufman’s new collection of darkly satirical short stories, The War Against Boredom. Continue reading CCLaP Fridays: The War Against Boredom, by Seth Kaufman
This week I write about Zippy the Pinhead for my ongoing essay series, American Odd. Are we having fun yet? Continue reading American Odd: Zippy Stories, by Bill Griffith
This week I review “Speak Now: Marriage Equality on Trial,” by Kenji Yoshino, about the court case that eventually repealed Prop 8. Continue reading CCLaP Fridays: Speak Now: Marriage Equality on Trial, by Kenji Yoshino
“Stormtrooper Families” offers a much-needed historical reckoning against commonly held falsehoods, bringing lucid scholarship to a neglected area in the history of the Nazi regime. Continue reading Stormtrooper Families, by Andrew Wackerfuss @ NYJB
I continue my essay series, American Odd, with a look at the history of the American roadside attraction in Jim Heimann’s classic California Crazy and Beyond: Roadside Vernacular Architecture. Continue reading American Odd: California Crazy and Beyond: Roadside Vernacular Architecture, by Jim Heimann
This week I review a dictionary of political speak, a primer for what passes as political discourse in this country. Continue reading CCLaP Fridays: Dog Whistles, Walk-Backs, and Washington Handshakes: Decoding the Jargon, Slang, and Bluster of American Political Speech, by Chuck McCutcheon and David Mark
The Driftless Area Review 