Patrick Modiano goes beyond the checklist accuracies of historical fiction, fashioning a lush fever dream filled with glamor, mystery, and despair. Continue reading Translation Tuesdays: In the Cafe of Lost Youth, by Patrick Modiano @ NYJB
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. Continue reading The Familiar, Volume 2: Into the Forest, by Mark Z. Danielewski @NYJB
“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. Continue reading The Mizrahi Era of Rebellion: Israel’s Forgotten Civil Rights Struggle 1948–1966 (Contemporary Issues in the Middle East), by Bryan K. Roby @ NYJB
This week I review “Kinda Sorta American Dream,” by Steve Karas, a short story collection poised between comedy and apocalypse. Continue reading CCLaP Fridays: Kinda Sorta American Dream, by Steve Karas
This week I continue my American Odd essay series with a look at “Urantia: The Great Cult Mystery,” by Martin Gardner. Continue reading American Odd: 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. Continue reading CCLaP Fridays: The Orthodox Dilemma, by George Alexander
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. Continue reading More NSFW Files: Sin-a-Rama: Expanded Edition: Sleaze Sex Paperbacks of the Sixties, edited by Adam Parfey and B. Astrid Daley
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. Continue reading Peel Back the Skin, edited by Anthony Rivera and Sharon Lawson @NYJB
“Sick” by Gabby Schulz is the quintessential graphic novel for this violent, demented, and hypocritical epoch of American history. Continue reading Sick by Gabby Schulz @ NYJB
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. Continue reading THE SETH KAUFMAN INTERVIEW
The Driftless Area Review 