‘Dirty Dancing’ in Pre-Roe v. Wade America
Andrea Warner’s book on Dirty Dancing in pre- Roe v. Wade America, The Time of My Life, is the deep dive into the film we need in these times.
Books
Features, reviews, interviews, and lists about books including cultural commentary and history, non-fiction, literature, and more.
‘The Art of Darkness’ Unburies Goth Music’s Beginnings
John Robb’s The Art of Darkness unburies an estimable wealth of knowledge of goth music and can sit comfortably beside the works of Greil Marcus and Jon Savage.
Who Will Be the Next Harry Hole? The 5 Best Norwegian Actors for the Role
The complex detective in Norwegian noir writer Jo Nesbø’s novels needs the perfect actor for the upcoming series. Who will be – who can be – the next Harry Hole?
Dreaming As a Radical Act: Bebop Demands We Listen Again
Dreams in Double Time explores how bebop created new possibilities for marginalized people in the early 20th century. Bebop demands we listen again.
Disillusion and the Glimmer of Hope for American Suburbs
The familiar image of the American suburbs has not changed much since the 1950s. Benjamin Herold’s Disillusioned both updates and counters that image.
Transcending to Badass: That’s How Female Rockers Roll
The female musicians interviewed in Katherine Yeske Taylor’s She’s a Badass have persisted against all odds and infused rock with a feminist verve.
Biography of ‘Rolling Stone’ Co-Founder Ralph J. Gleason Rocks and Swings
‘Rolling Stone’ co-founder Ralph J. Gleason predates that golden era of music journalism when Lester Bangs and Robert Christgau thrived.
Colin Barrett’s Debut Novel ‘Wild Houses’ Unfolds Predictably
The narrative in Colin Barrett’s debut novel Wild Houses unfolds predictably, without much in the way of plot twists or surprises.
Waxing Moustaches: A Hair-Brained Interview with Humourist Aug Stone
What do sports, music, comedy, and neuroplasticity have to do with waxing moustaches? This hair-brained interview with humourist Aug Stone explains.
Sasha Frere-Jones: Portrait of the Critic as a Young Man
Sasha Frere-Jones’ anti-memoir memoir, Earlier, moves around in time without clear logic, keeping things alive and even suspenseful, though somewhat cryptically.
Rachel Maddow on the Bit Players’ Big Effects on Promoting American Fascism
Rachel Maddow’s latest book on political history, Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism, weaves varying players past into a singular danger present.
Christopher Hitchens and Fights Worth Having
You can smell the cigarette ash and Johnnie Walker Black Label on the pages of A Hitch in Time, a gleefully pugilistic posthumous Christopher Hitchens anthology.