Literary Criticism

"Writing only leads to more writing." — Colette

Truths That Cannot Be Offered Outside of Art: On Stephen D. Dowden’s “Modernism and Mimesis”
William Collins Donahue reviews Stephen D. Dowden’s “Modernism and Mimesis.”
William Collins DonahueJan 5, 2023
- Literary Criticism
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
A Diary Is a Place for Dreaming: A Conversation with Amina Cain
Natalie Dunn speaks with Amina Cain about her new book “A Horse at Night: On Writing.”
Natalie DunnDec 30, 2022
A Communion of Pathless Solitudes: On Adam Nicolson’s “The Making of Poetry”
Joshua Hren reviews Adam Nicolson’s “The Making of Poetry: Coleridge, the Wordsworths, and Their Year of Marvels.”
Joshua HrenDec 11, 2022
Absolute Sovereignty: On Constance Debré’s “Love Me Tender”
Gracie Hadland reviews Constance Debré’s “Love Me Tender.”
Gracie HadlandDec 8, 2022
- Literary Criticism
- Memoir & Essay
Books That Sing: On Justin St. Clair’s “Soundtracked Books from the Acoustic Era to the Digital Age”
Nicholas C. Laudadio reviews Justin St. Clair’s “Soundtracked Books from the Acoustic Era to the Digital Age.”
Nicholas C. LaudadioNov 5, 2022
- Literary Criticism
- Music
The First Comedian
Jason Crawford discusses the career of Robert Armin, the first modern comedian.
Jason CrawfordNov 4, 2022
- History
- Literary Criticism
Literature and Indigeneity: Amazigh Activists’ Construction of an Emerging Literary Field
Brahim El Guabli analyzes the postcolonial emergence of Amazigh literature.
Brahim El GuabliOct 28, 2022
- Around the World
- Literary Criticism
How We Know What We Are Being Told: On Peter Brooks’s “Seduced by Story”
Caterina Domeneghini reviews Peter Brooks’s new book “Seduced by Story: The Use and Abuse of Narrative.”
Caterina DomeneghiniOct 17, 2022
- Literary Criticism
The Joy of Genre: On Brooks E. Hefner’s “Black Pulp”
Nathan Jefferson reviews Brooks E. Hefner’s “Black Pulp: Genre Fiction in the Shadow of Jim Crow,” an introduction to often overlooked pulp stories that ran in Black newspapers.
Nathan JeffersonOct 6, 2022
- Literary Criticism
- Noir
The Music of the Ordinary: On Stanley Cavell’s “Here and There”
Michael S. Roth considers Stanley Cavell's "Here and There: Sites of Philosophy."
Michael S. RothSep 30, 2022
- Literary Criticism
- Philosophy & Religion
The Whole World Is a Work of Art: On Jonathan Bate’s “Mad About Shakespeare”
Tom Sperlinger reviews Jonathan Bate’s new book “Mad About Shakespeare: From Classroom to Theatre to Emergency Room.”
Tom SperlingerSep 28, 2022
- Literary Criticism
- Memoir & Essay