Literary Criticism

"Writing only leads to more writing." — Colette

Facing Facts, Facing Reality: On Deborah Nelson’s “Tough Enough”
Deborah Nelson’s “Tough Enough” examines how intellectual powerhouses including Hannah Arendt, Susan Sontag, and Diane Arbus face reality head on.
Jacquelyn ArdamJun 8, 2017
- Gender & Sexuality
- Literary Criticism
Grand Finale: On “The Poetry of Weldon Kees: Vanishing as Presence”
Kathleen Rooney reviews John T. Irwin’s “The Poetry of Weldon Kees: Vanishing as Presence.”
Kathleen RooneyMay 30, 2017
- Literary Criticism
- Poetry
The Lyric in Theory: A Conversation with Jonathan Culler
Francesco Giusti discusses the theory of the lyric with Jonathan Culler.
Francesco GiustiMay 27, 2017
Discipline and Parse: The Politics of Close Reading
Bruce Robbins reviews Joseph North’s “Literary Criticism: A Concise Political History.”
Bruce RobbinsMay 14, 2017
- History
- Literary Criticism
Streetwalker
Kate Wolf visits Lauren Elkin's "Flâneuse: Women Walk the City in Paris, New York, Tokyo, Venice, and London."
Kate WolfMay 8, 2017
- Literary Criticism
- Memoir & Essay
The Plot Thickens: James Shapiro’s “The Year of Lear: Shakespeare in 1606”
Michael Paller reviews James Shapiro's latest book.
Michael PallerApr 25, 2017
- History
- Literary Criticism
The Slide Rule and the Crowbar: Henry David Thoreau in the Anthropocene
Daegan Miller reviews Robert M. Thorson’s “The Boatman: Henry David Thoreau’s River Years.”
Daegan MillerApr 23, 2017
Sages and Holy Fools
Richard Kearney on Jason M. Wirth's "Commiserating with Devastated Things: Milan Kundera and the Entitlements of Thinking."
Richard KearneyApr 22, 2017
- Literary Criticism
- Religion
“Literature with a Capital L”: On Arthur Krystal’s “This Thing We Call Literature”
Patrick Kurp appreciates the serious “sallies” of “This Thing We Call Literature” by Arthur Krystal.
Patrick KurpApr 22, 2017
- Literary Criticism
- Memoir & Essay
Between Philosophy and History: On Guido Mazzoni’s “Theory of the Novel”
Alberto Comparini delves into “Theory of the Novel” by Guido Mazzoni.
Alberto CompariniApr 15, 2017
A Safe Place
Heather Scott Partington on Yiyun Li's "Dear Friend, From My Life I Write To You in Your Life."
Heather Scott PartingtonApr 5, 2017
- Literary Criticism
- Memoir & Essay
How to Do Things with Genres
Marta Figlerowicz on André Jolles’s "Simple Forms."
Marta FiglerowiczMar 30, 2017
- Literary Criticism
- Philosophy & Religion