The saga of Xanther and her cat continue in “The Familiar, Volume 2: Into the Woods,” by Mark Z. Danielewski. But questions arise when her father Anwar takes them to the vet. The vet tells Xanther that her puff of white fur isn’t a cat at all, but a dog. It isn’t just born, but very old. It also belongs to someone else.
“The Mizrahi Era of Rebellion: Israel’s Forgotten Civil Rights Struggle 1948–1966 (Contemporary Issues in the Middle East),” by Bryan K. Roby seeks to complicate this simplified vision of Israeli history.
This week I review “Kinda Sorta American Dream,” by Steve Karas, a short story collection poised between comedy and apocalypse.
This week I continue my American Odd essay series with a look at “Urantia: The Great Cult Mystery,” by Martin Gardner.
This week I review “The Orthodox Dilemma,” by George Alexander, a personal exploration of the administrative, political, and dogmatic challenges facing the Orthodox Christian community.
Hey Milwaukee, the latest edition of “Alcoholmanac” is here! Lots of great stuff inside, including cool recipes, a feature I wrote on SE Wisconsin distilleries before Prohibition.
Originally published in 2005, Feral House has reissued “Sin-a-Rama: Sleaze Sex Paperbacks of the Sixties” in a new, expanded edition. Edited by Adam Parfrey and B. Astrid Daley, Sin-a-Rama delves into this lesser known literary genre.
Is there poetry after Auschwitz? Is there horror after the massacre in Orlando? “Peel Back the Skin: Anthology of Horror Stories,” edited by Anthony Rivera and Sharon Lawson, reveals why horror is necessary today.
“Sick” by Gabby Schulz is the quintessential graphic novel for this violent, demented, and hypocritical epoch of American history.
This year Seth Kaufman released “The War on Boredom,” a collection of short stories, and “Nuns with Guns,” a social satire on America’s unhealthy gun obsession. I talked with Seth about reality TV, nuns and guns, and the power of network television.
