Patrick Samway’s literary history portrays editor Robert Giroux’s relationship with confessional poet and writer John Berryman. Giroux, who published most of Berryman’s books in the US, studied with the poet at Columbia. They... Read More

Peter Nowak analyzes the phenomenon of real people dressing in costumes to fight crime and help others in "The Rise of Real-Life Superheroes". Since 1969, when a junior high school science teacher fought corporate pollution as “The... Read More

Kate Young’s cookbook addresses twinned appetites: for rich reading, and for seasonal flavors, from blood oranges in icy winters to vibrant rhubarbs at the first sign of spring. Young treats both reading and cooking as cozy,... Read More

In Faulkner’s Shadow is a lively literary memoir set in Oxford, Mississippi, the hometown of famed novelist William Faulkner. Oxford has produced more writers than most places. There’s competition, Lawrence Wells says, to see who... Read More

"From Us to Me" is a strong case study of Israeli films and their use in representing and shifting national identities. Dror Izhar’s "From Us to Me" is a fascinating look at Israeli cinema and its role in both creating and mirroring... Read More

"What Is Shakespeare?" gathers varied and fascinating material related to Shakespeare’s plays. Ted van Griethuysen’s thoughtful analytical text "What Is Shakespeare?" concentrates on the performance and poetry of Shakespeare’s best... Read More

"Disfigured" is a fascinating exploration of how disabilities are treated within fairy tales and of how those treatments help to shape social attitudes and perceptions. Part literary examination, part cultural critique, and part memoir,... Read More

In the first essay of her collection "Where There Is Danger", Luba Jurgenson writes, “Bilingualism is waiting for its chronicler, someone down-to-earth who follows each step of the bodily clues to the constantly shifting center.” As... Read More