Literary Criticism

"Writing only leads to more writing." — Colette

An American Literary Hero’s Complicated Homecoming
In “Atticus Finch, The Biography,” historian Joseph Crespino exposes the complications of an American literary icon.
Rachel GordanMay 20, 2018
- Fiction
- Literary Criticism
The Voices of Hayden White
Amy Elias reminds us of what we have lost with the passing of Hayden White, one of the great humanist minds of our time.
Amy J. EliasApr 22, 2018
- History
- Literary Criticism
Sharp but Narrow
Jacquelyn Ardam reviews Michelle Dean’s “Sharp: The Women Who Made an Art Out of Having an Opinion.”
Jacquelyn ArdamApr 19, 2018
“The Genius to Glue Them Together”: On René Girard and His Ideas
An excerpt from Cynthia L. Haven’s “Evolution of Desire: A Life of René Girard,” which will appear from Michigan State University Press on April 1.
Cynthia L. HavenMar 25, 2018
Word and Deed: On Lynn Ellen Patyk’s “Written in Blood: Revolutionary Terrorism and Russian Literary Culture, 1861–1881”
Chelsea C. Gibson on “Written in Blood: Revolutionary Terrorism and Russian Literary Culture, 1861–1881” by Lynn Ellen Patyk.
Chelsea GibsonMar 23, 2018
Getting to the Middle of Nowhere: On Jon K. Lauck’s “From Warm Center to Ragged Edge”
Stephanie Foote navigates “From Warm Center to Ragged Edge: The Erosion of Midwestern Literary and Historical Regionalism, 1920–1965” by Jon K. Lauck.
Stephanie FooteMar 18, 2018
- Cultural Studies
- Literary Criticism
Remaking the University: Geoffrey Galt Harpham on Democracy and Interpretation in the United States
What do Frederick Douglass and the New Criticism have in common?
Michael MeranzeMar 15, 2018
Ephemeral Style
Colin Vanderburg on Brent Hayes Edwards’s “Epistrophies: Jazz and the Literary Imagination.”
Colin VanderburgMar 3, 2018
- Literary Criticism
- Music
Whose Survival Is Wrapped Up in Mine: An Interview with Benjamin Bateman
Alex Espinoza talks with Benjamin Bateman about his new book, “The Modernist Art of Queer Survival.”
Alex EspinozaFeb 25, 2018
Literatainment: A Personal Breakthrough
Ryan McIlvain reflects on the possibilities of merging high-brow literature with low-brow entertainment.
Ryan McIlvainFeb 16, 2018
- Literary Criticism
Life Writing: Samuel Beckett’s Literature of Disorder
Amanda Dennis cracks open “Samuel Beckett Is Closed” by Michael Coffey.
Amanda DennisFeb 13, 2018
- Fiction
- Literary Criticism
Writing In Order to Live: On Maya Jasanoff’s “The Dawn Watch: Joseph Conrad in a Global World”
John Tytell ranges over “The Dawn Watch: Joseph Conrad in a Global World” by Maya Jasanoff.
John TytellFeb 10, 2018