Critic’s Notebook: David Bowie and the Physiology of Taste

The Argument David Bowie’s recent death has closed a page on music history. On a more personal level, Bowie has been a constant in my life for decades. Beyond mere 80s nostalgia (Labyrinth) or 90s nostalgia (Lost Highway, Outside, and Earthling), Bowie has been instrumental to me personally as a taste-maker. He led me down strange avenues and provided the raw material for discovery and aesthetic experimentation. Embryo My fascinating with David Bowie began early. I can still remember the first Bowie album I bought, sometime in the Nineties. It was a CD of Tonight (1984), an album even Bowie … Continue reading Critic’s Notebook: David Bowie and the Physiology of Taste

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CCLaP Fridays: Selected Letters of Norman Mailer, edited by J. Michael Lennon

This week I review Norman Mailer’s selected letters, giving a new perspective on an iconic and controversial author. Continue reading CCLaP Fridays: Selected Letters of Norman Mailer, edited by J. Michael Lennon

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2 books on Germany @ NYJB

I review books on Hitler’s domestic spaces and how Germany deals with 4 centuries of history over at the New York Journal of Books. Continue reading 2 books on Germany @ NYJB

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Although of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself: A Road Trip with David Foster Wallace, by David Lipsky

“Although of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself: A Road Trip with David Foster Wallace,” by David Lipsky offers a unique look into the mind of an amazing writer. Continue reading Although of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself: A Road Trip with David Foster Wallace, by David Lipsky

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Massive Pissed Love: Nonfiction 2001–2014, by Richard Hell @ NYJB

Richard Hell makes his voice known on subjects as diverse as film, music, art, September 11, and photography. He calls his new essay collection Massive Pissed Love: Nonfiction 2001–2014 and in the Author’s Note, he likens arranging the essays to … Continue reading Massive Pissed Love: Nonfiction 2001–2014, by Richard Hell @ NYJB

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The Devil’s Financial Dictionary by Jason Zweig @ NYJB

“The Devil’s Financial Dictionary” by Jason Zweig attempts to give investors the necessary tools to confront the jargon, doublespeak, hubris, arrogance, amnesia, hysteria, and general idiocy endemic to those calling themselves “financial advisors.” Continue reading The Devil’s Financial Dictionary by Jason Zweig @ NYJB

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American Odd: Conspiranoia!: the Mother of All Conspiracy Theories, by Devon Jackson

This week I continue my American Odd essay series with a look at Conspiranoia!: the Mother of All Conspiracy Theories, by Devon Jackson. It’s the essay the UFO nazi Bilderbergers don’t want you to read … or do they? Continue reading American Odd: Conspiranoia!: the Mother of All Conspiracy Theories, by Devon Jackson

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The Devil’s Chessboard: Allen Dulles, the CIA, and the Rise of America’s Secret Government, by David Talbot @ NYJB

“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

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