Lost and Found: Adolescent Obsession in Hannah Pittard’s Debut Novel
Comparisons to Jeffrey Eugenides' The Virgin Suicides are unavoidable and complimentary: here, too, is a Greek-style chorus of boys grown to men, as well as their obsession with a female classmate and the reconstruction of a life from supposition.
The War Against Cliché: What We Can Learn from Martin Amis
Chess, football, even famous writers. Martin Amis can write about anything.
Some with Bicycles, Some Without: The Women of the Rumpus
Women of color, lesbian women, straight women, youthful women, mature women, and even possibly crazy women are included in this first volume. Some of the women take off their clothes and some commit suicide; others refuse to do either. At times the diversity can seem contrived, but for the most part, this is a solid...
The Tin Drum: A Startling Vision of WWII
In this first and famous novel by Nobel laureate Günter Grass, the horrors of Nazi Germany are transformed into beauty and magic.
Six Missing Words for Blue: Ellen Meloy on the Nature of Color and Place
In this collection, Ellen Meloy turns her sharp eye on a diverse geography, along the way discussing the history of turquoise mines, solitary women of the outback, truck stop gift shops, her own family's history with slavery, and the sex lives of desert wildflowers.
Consider the Lobster: Defining the Elusive Genius
A look at David Foster Wallace’s 2006 collection of essays reveals much more than admiration for a body of literary work.
Chronic City: Jonathan Lethem’s Questionable View of Manhattan
Ray Larsen gives us a review of Jonathan Lethem's 2009 novel.
The New York Trilogy: A Writer’s Existentialist Crisis
A look at Auster's 1987 trilogy of literary detective fiction offers us a look not just into Auster's psyche but that of all writers.
Memory Wall: Anthony Doerr’s Latest Collection
Xenith contributor Ray Larsen offers insight into Anthony Doerr's most recent collection of short stories.
Geek Love: Is Imagination Enough?
Katherine Dunn’s 1989 novel Geek Love offers a world of unmatched imagination, of heartache and humanity, but can we look past its glaring faults?
Men in the Off Hours: Three Things to Love about Anne Carson
A look at Anne Carson's collection, Men in the Off Hours, reminds us that there are many things that make the Canadian poet a pleasure to read.
The 100 Most Beautiful Words in English: A Linguist’s Quaint Passion