Martin Amis’ ‘Inside Story’ Is a Grimoire
Where things don't quite add up in autobiography Inside Story, Martin Amis fashions the untidy sum into a sort of punchline; where there aren't any punchlines, he makes the mess into a cosmic joke.
autobiography
Jon Zazula’s ‘Heavy Tales’ Is a Strong, if Blemished, Autobiography
Founder of both Rock 'N' Roll Heaven and Megaforce Records, Jon Zazula spares nothing in chronicling the highs and lows of his journey in Heavy Tales.
Wall-Buster Ani DiFranco Has a Chokehold on Irony: ‘No Walls and the Recurring Dream’
Ani DiFranco is growing up and getting over herself. Her memoir, No Walls and the Recurring Dream, highlights the ironies of a one-of-a-kind musical legacy.
‘Blame This on the Boogie’ Blurs the Lines between Graphic Novel and Songbook
Passion defines Rina Ayuyang's life as Blame This on the Boogie explores the pleasures and pitfalls of pop culture devotion.
‘Room to Dream’, in which David Lynch Has a Conversation with His Own Biography
Room to Dream brims with detail but the real David Lynch remains elusive.
From Paris, with Poetry: On Henri Cole’s ‘Orphic Paris’
Henri Cole's Orphic Paris mines the city of light to illuminate the ends of his art.
Elsa Lanchester Was Born to Defy Heteronormativity
The reissue of autobiography Elsa Lanchester, Herself, brings forth an engaging woman who helped to queer Hollywood well beyond her role in The Bride of Frankenstein.
David Lynch and Kristine McKenna’s ‘Room to Dream’ Never Awakens
The legendary director behind Twin Peaks, Eraserhead, and Mulholland Drive joins co-author Kristine McKenna for a unique blend of autobiography and biography that does little to solve the mysteries of his life and work.
Loudon Wainwright III’s ‘Liner Notes’ Is Witty, Sad and Wonderful — Like His Music
As the patriarch of a dynasty which makes The Osbournes seem as staid as The Waltons, Wainwright III muses on life, death, and public swimming pools.
Man Out of Time: Chateaubriand’s ‘Memoirs from Beyond the Grave’
This 19th century autobiography showcases the Romantic style for which Chateaubriand became known: vivid descriptions of nature and rustic life mixed with literary allusions and high rhetoric, all in the service of communicating intense, individual feeling.
‘After Ireland’ Bridges the Gaps Between Ireland’s Official Languages
After Ireland considers the changing culture, the changing identity, and a fast-changing Ireland in the varied voices and languages of its literature.