Books
Yiddish culture barely touched upon in ‘The New Jewish Canon’
The message given by the book is clear: for the American Jewish intelligentsia, Yiddish is primarily associated with the Holocaust.
Nicole Krauss’s debut short story collection is an argument against staying calm
Called to confront the possibility of radically altered worlds, Krauss’s characters find themselves trapped in the undertow of daily life.
In Nessa Rapoport’s ‘Evening,’ the sun sets on a complicated sisterhood
A week of shiva forces the novel’s protagonist to confront the unsettling fact that the central bond in her life has been one of conflict.
Out of a stereotype of beauty, Elena Ferrante has created something beautiful
Is it possible to root a story entirely in a noxious stereotype, and still create something genuinely human — and genuinely good?
Pete Hamill was New York’s last great storyteller
For Hamill, there were never enough stories, never enough ways to speak truth to power and never enough ways to make a tale just a little more grand.
An Israeli-American author’s debut brings the road trip novel back to life
“All My Mother’s Lovers” begins where most coming-of-age novels leave off.
Is there any good time to publish a book during a pandemic?
Timing is everything in publishing; you want to capitalize on the cultural moment. But is anything published during a pandemic timely?
In ‘Little Eyes,’ a human gaze more frightening than the digital
“Little Eyes” suggests we love each other best when we erect enough barriers between ourselves and the human frailties of others.
Are you there, Judy Blume? It’s me, Molly.
Sometime around fifth grade I found Blume’s “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.” It came to me at the perfect time.
In a change of heart, Amazon has dropped white nationalist books
Books such as David Duke’s “My Awakening: A Path to Racial Understanding” are no longer listed for purchase.