Literary Criticism

"Writing only leads to more writing." — Colette

“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
Totalitarianism, At Home and Abroad: Vaughn Rasberry’s “Race and the Totalitarian Century”
Andrew Lanham reviews Vaughn Rasberry’s “Race and the Totalitarian Century.”
Andrew LanhamMar 26, 2017
- History
- Literary Criticism
In Memoriam: Mark Fisher
Mark Fisher's fans, friends, and colleagues remember the author of "Capitalist Realism" and "The Weird and the Eerie."
Carl Freedman, Dan Hassler-Forest, Ellie Mae O’Hagan, Jeremy Gilbert, Roger LuckhurstMar 11, 2017
The Loneliness of the Gay Aesthete: Alan Hollinghurst and Queer Theory
Charlie Tyson on "Alan Hollinghurst: Writing Under the Influence," the new collection edited by Denis Flannery and Michèle Mendelssohn.
Charlie TysonMar 9, 2017
- Gender & Sexuality
- Literary Criticism
Masochism’s Gem-Like Flames
What did the Victorian era's aesthetic and psychosexual preoccupations produce? Len Gutkin on Claire Jarvis's "Exquisite Masochism."
Len GutkinMar 5, 2017
- Literary Criticism
Acknowledgment Is Not Enough: Coming to Terms With Lovecraft’s Horrors
Can we still enjoy Lovecraft? Alison Sperling on "The Age of Lovecraft."
Alison SperlingMar 4, 2017
- Literary Criticism
- SF
For When Nothing Happens: Peter Orner on Stories
Shaun Miller on Peter Orner's "Am I Alone Here?"
Shaun MillerFeb 17, 2017
- Literary Criticism
- Memoir & Essay
The Deeply Unserious, Important Work of Amit Chaudhuri
Sumana Roy on the joy and influence of Amit Chaudhuri's work.
Sumana RoyFeb 16, 2017
- Fiction
- Literary Criticism
A Florilegium for Angus Fletcher
Literary critic Angus Fletcher died on November 28, 2016. His friends, contemporaries, and former students remember him.
Dorion Sagan, Eric Wilson, Harold Bloom, Joan Richardson, K. J. Knoespel, Kenneth Gross, Lindsay Waters, Michael Wood, Mitchell Meltzer, Paul Auster, Stanley Fish, Susan Stewart, V. N. Alexander, Victoria NelsonFeb 12, 2017
- Literary Criticism