Books & the Arts

The Chinese Evolution The Chinese Evolution

Three new books on China invite the West to give up simplistic dreams and nightmares and come to terms with a complex and rapidly evolving authoritarian state.

Aug 31, 2006 / Books & the Arts / Jeffrey Wasserstrom

Poetry, From Noun to Verb Poetry, From Noun to Verb

Nathaniel Mackey's most recent collection of subtle, intricate poetry weaves images from Arab and African diasporas with a contemporary sense of dislocation.

Aug 31, 2006 / Books & the Arts / John Palattella

Let’s Dance Let’s Dance

In Tango: The Art History of Love, Robert Thompson traces the dance's roots in Afro-Argentine history. Tomas Eloy Martínez's The Tango Singer appropriates its music to explo...

Aug 31, 2006 / Books & the Arts / Marina Harss

Five Poems by Ko Un Five Poems by Ko Un

Two beggars sharing a meal of the food they've been given The new moon shines intensely *

Aug 31, 2006 / Books & the Arts / The Nation

Writers From the Other Asia Writers From the Other Asia

Four new books explore Korea's cold war hangover and the indelible mark left by its North-South division.

Aug 31, 2006 / Books & the Arts / John Feffer

Puerto Rico, On Drugs Puerto Rico, On Drugs

Ricardo Mendez Matta and Poli Marichal answer questions about their new film, Ladrones y Mentirosos (Thieves and Liars), which takes a hard look at the price Puerto Ricans are pa...

Aug 28, 2006 / Books & the Arts / Alberto Morales

Eat Drink Man Woman Eat Drink Man Woman

Three new books by Julia Child, Anthony Bourdain and Bill Buford chart the evolution of American cooking, from haute cuisine to the hot kitchen of Mario Batali.

Aug 24, 2006 / Books & the Arts / Matthew DeBord

A Sort of Homecoming A Sort of Homecoming

"The spell of Africa is upon me," wrote W.E.B. Du Bois in Liberia. Three new books document the enchantment and disenchantment of the continent for its descendants.

Aug 24, 2006 / Books & the Arts / Hazel Rowley

Virtual Catastrophe Virtual Catastrophe

World Trade Center's hero is a tough ex-Marine who later re-enlists to fight in Iraq. But his (and Oliver Stone's) redemption narrative is soured by bad faith.

Aug 24, 2006 / Books & the Arts / Stuart Klawans

Inside the Alleged Mind of Bill O’Reilly Inside the Alleged Mind of Bill O’Reilly

Looking for a blast of hot air? Two intrepid literary critics venture deep into the steaming, muddy jungles of the Fox News pundit's award-losing prose.

Aug 22, 2006 / Books & the Arts / Joseph Minton Amann and Tom Breuer

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