The Freaks of Mayfair offers pleasant distraction with humane portraits of freaks, faddists, climbers, and fakers. Continue reading Forgotten Classics: The Freaks of Mayfair (1916) by E.F. Benson
“Dirty Old Tank Girl by Alan Martin is good clean fun, apart from the swearing, violence, and brief nudity. For fans of the cult film, the collection is a great re-introduction to the classic character.” Continue reading Dirty Old Tank Girl, by Alan Martin @ nyjb
JG Ballard on the real pornography. Continue reading Commonplace Place: JG Ballard on Mass Shootings
Anthony Burgess on book reviewers Continue reading Commonplace Book: Anthony Burgess on book reviewers
Alan Moore’s “Jerusalem” is a turgid, overwritten slab of pretentiousness. Continue reading Science Fiction Week: Jerusalem by Alan Moore @ nyjb
This week I continue my essay series American Odd by looking at “Three Wogs,” by Alexander Theroux, a comic novel about race relations in the UK. Continue reading American Odd: Three Wogs, by Alexander Theroux
In “Wilberforce” HS Cross crafts passages of agonizing psychological self-torment with a master’s ear for the perfect phrase. Continue reading Wilberforce, by HS Cross @ NYJB
“She was a Calvinistic Sabbatarian in religion, and in worldly manners she was a devout believer in the high rank of her noble relatives.” Continue reading Commonplace Book: Priorities
An occasional series that is a continuation of my essay anthology, On Being Human: critical looks at books and movies that examine the question of humanity. (Buy the limited edition hardcover, Kindle version, or download it for free at the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography.) Via Orphan Black: Season 3 will be premiering on April 18, 2015 on BBC America. Below are a series of notes on Seasons 1 and 2. Due to the nature of these essays, they contain many spoilers, major and minor. If you haven’t seen the series, I would suggest watching it before reading these … Continue reading On Being Human Redux: Notes on “Orphan Black”
The NSFW Files includes essays on erotica written by a Nobel laureate, an outsider artist, a surrealist, and a French prisoner, among many more. Most important, the essay collection offers an answer to the question, “What dirty book should I read next?” Continue reading CCLaP Fridays: NSFW Files … the Book! Coming out next Monday (1/19/15)
The Driftless Area Review 