Essays Archive | Los Angeles Review of Books

All Essays

A Cinema of Discontent: Masterpieces of Polish Cinema
On Polish film of the 1970s and 80s.
Ela BittencourtJun 1, 2014
A Dangerous Method: Syria, Sy Hersh, and the Art of Mass-crime Revisionism
Did Sy Hersh aid Syria with unprofessional journalism?
Muhammad Idrees AhmadJun 1, 2014
Blades of Grass: On Ecopoetry and an Unnatural World
On ecopoets of the ages.
Cecily ParksMay 31, 2014
Artistic License in “Vikings,” “Black Sails,” and “Da Vinci’s Demons”: When Historical Inaccuracy Improves Art
Aatif RashidMay 30, 2014
China’s Two Problems with the Uyghurs
Uyghurs in the Xinjiang region are experiencing a cultural assault that is sobering.
James MillwardMay 28, 2014
“Boy, Snow, Bird” by Helen Oyeyemi
Boy Novak arrives to a small town in Massachusetts looking for beauty in this dazzling novel that explores identity, image, and the tyranny of the mirror. Check out our Spring 2014 pick for the LARB Book Club: “Boy, Snow, Bird” by Helen Oyeyemi.
May 28, 2014
Elliott Smith’s Living Will: On “Heaven Adores You”
The new documentary on Elliott Smith, "Heaven Adores You"
Will ButlerMay 27, 2014
Mad Men, Season 7: "Waterloo"
She's an Astronaut
Phillip MaciakMay 26, 2014
- Dear Television
Women Writing War: A List of Essential Contemporary War Literature by Women
On her blog, Kayla Williams disagreed with Cara Hoffman’s op-ed in The New York Times decrying what she perceived as a paucity of women’s voices in war literature; here Williams expands on her original post, listing a few of the many titles and venues that feature female soldiers and veterans writing about war.
Kayla WilliamsMay 26, 2014
- Literary Fiction
The Long Shadow: The Legacies of the Great War in the 20th Century — An Excerpt
An excerpt of the Hessell-Tiltman Prize–winning work on the legacy of the Great War by esteemed history scholar David Reynolds.
David ReynoldsMay 26, 2014
The Nature of War: A 10-Best List from Leo Braudy
The Ten Best Books on Warfare
Leo BraudyMay 26, 2014
The Last Lecture: The Virtue of Uncertainty
Susan Celia Greenfield’s “last lecture” to this year’s Fordham University graduation class considers whether “things will get worse,” and what to do about it.
Susan Celia GreenfieldMay 25, 2014
Coming Home to The Best Years of Our Lives
Briallen HopperMay 23, 2014
Letter from Ramallah
Children shot down in the street.
Ben EhrenreichMay 23, 2014
- Travel
Reality TV’s Re-Segregation of the South
The modern South is too complex for reality programming to rely on its standard broad-brush treatment.
Christian N. KerrMay 22, 2014
Donald Rumsfeld: Master of Perception
Journalist Siddhartha Mahanta takes a serious look at Donald Rumsfeld: what he was then, what he is now, and what he means to history.
Siddhartha MahantaMay 22, 2014