Essays Archive | Los Angeles Review of Books

All Essays

Ugly Cats and the Loneliness of Man
Lauren Collee reflects on the history of pet photography, cat memes, and cute animal rage.
Lauren ColleeJan 6, 2023
- Memoir & Essay
This Other’s Body: On the Durability of American Racial Satire
Matthew K. Ritchie draws parallels between Mohsin Hamid’s “The Last White Man” and “Black No More,” George Schuyler’s satire from 1931.
Matthew K. RitchieJan 2, 2023
- Literary Criticism
- Politics
Failure Is Infinite
Stephen Akey discusses aspiring writers and the myth of “failure.”
Stephen AkeyJan 1, 2023
- Memoir & Essay
How Do You Know What To Shoot?: On William Wyler and John Sturges’s “Thunderbolt”
On its 75th anniversary, Jason Resnikoff revisits the World War II documentary “Thunderbolt” and how it captures the relationship between filmmaking and war-making.
Jason ResnikoffDec 28, 2022
Whatever Weapon: On Gender and Italian Literature
Janna Brancolini discusses the dynamic relationship between restrictive Italian gender roles, Italy’s biggest literary prize, and the nation's history of women writers, who have rarely won it.
Janna BrancoliniDec 23, 2022
Jeremy Strong Theory: On Acting and Talking About Acting
R. Colin Tait discusses Michael Schulman’s profile of Jeremy Strong.
R. Colin TaitDec 20, 2022
- Film
- Television
Examining Phillis Wheatley
Hollis Robbins examines the legend of Phillis Wheatley, the first African American published poet.
Hollis RobbinsDec 19, 2022
- Biography & Autobiography
- Poetry
Fettuccine and Forgiveness
Erica Heller on coming to forgive her novelist father, Joseph, for their “fractious, doomed, exhausting relationship.”
Erica HellerDec 19, 2022
- Literary Fiction
- Memoir & Essay
The Funnel and the Horn: On Reinventing James Cameron’s “Avatar”
J. D. Connor analyzes how cultural shifts in the relationship between movies and money made James Cameron’s initial record-breaking blockbuster “Avatar” somewhat forgettable while the Disney marketing machine is now going to try to reinvent the franchise
J. D. ConnorDec 16, 2022
- Economics and Finance
- Film
“The Persuaders” by Anand Giridharadas
How do we call out injustice and its perpetrators? How do we pave a way toward healing a fractured country? This book analyzes progressive movements in the age of extreme polarization in an attempt to answer those questions. Check out our Winter 2023 pick for the LARB Book Club: “The Persuaders” by Anand Giridharadas.
Dec 7, 2022
The Cost of Silence
Michael Wolfe appreciates his slice of Los Angeles.
Michael WolfeDec 4, 2022
- Memoir & Essay
Lousy Listing: On “Sight & Sound” and Taste
Brian Jacobson gives historical and cultural context to the “Sight & Sound” Best Of poll.
Brian R. JacobsonDec 2, 2022
- Film
The Tough Love of Judy Davis in “Nitram”
Dan Callahan analyzes the unique screen presence of actress Judy Davis, most recently starring in the film “Nitram.”
Dan CallahanNov 30, 2022
- Film
- Television
Histories of Violence: Violence Still Demands a Conversation
Brad Evans reflects on his long-running LARB column, “Histories of Violence.“
Brad EvansNov 28, 2022
- Histories of Violence
- Politics
The Body in Topography
Mariam Gomaa reflects on the intertwining characteristics of health, surgery, religion, and philosophy.
Mariam GomaaNov 27, 2022
Open Season on Husbands: Female Revenge Movies of the Long 1990s
Isabelle Lang and Laura Valenza revisit the 1990s feminist revenge plot and its bearing on today’s domestic violence laws.
Isabelle Lang, Laura ValenzaNov 25, 2022