Trip through Mediocrity: A Review of Anthony Swofford's Exit A
by Andi Mudd
I didn’t read Jarhead.  I did see the movie, though, in a small crowd that included a group of very excited Marines or former Marines, in an intimate theatre that served beer.  This kind of frightening experience kindled i
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A Voice in the Darkness: A Spotlight on Anne Patchett’s Bel Canto
by Jessica Penner
“When the lights went off the accompanist kissed her.  Maybe he had been turning towards her just before it was completely dark, maybe he was lifting his hands.  There must have been some movement, a gesture, because every person i
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Duty and Desire: Fitzwilliam Darcy Unveiled
by Jessica Penner
I’ve observed that most people are divided into two camps regarding Jane Austen: Those That Love Her and Those That Hate Her.  This non-scientific study derives from conversations I’ve had over the years.  Those T
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V for Vendetta: Vociferous Views on Video Versus Volume
by Christina McNamee
OK, enough with the alliteration. V for Vendetta, a compilation of comics created by Alan Moore and David Lloyd in 1986 and 1987 (and made into a film version last winter) is a dense, layered story of a society gone fascist, and the rogue
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Mind the Gap: Shameless Praise of Iain Banks’ The Bridge
by Lev AC Rosen
I hope not to offend anyone when I say this, but my favorite modern author is Iain Banks. A lot of you might be wondering why you haven’t heard of him.  Well, for starters, he’s Scottish, and if you’re American, you probably
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Your Daily Dystopian History Lesson From Yevgeny Zamyatin: A Review of We
by Sally Feller
You know what’s nearly impossible? Trying to discuss any dystopian, or anti-Utopian, work without bringing other examples into the review: Brave New World, 1984, and the classic “Sally Feller ‘V for Vendetta’ Revie
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Searching for Green Street: A Memorial for Stanley Kunitz, 1905-2006
by Jessica Penner
One evening in September, about three years ago, my friend Anna and I went on a search for the boyhood home of the poet Stanley Kunitz.  We were both living in Kunitz’s hometown of Worcester, Massachusetts at the time for different reasons
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You Have Been Warned: A Review of This Book Will Save Your Life by A.M. Homes
by Adam Blackman
This Book Will Save Your Life (Viking Press, 2006), the new novel by A.M. Homes, chronicles stock trader Richard Novak’s journey out of isolation.  Cocooned in wealth, tended to by his housekeeper, nutritionist and personal trainer, Ric
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Moonlit Revolution: A Review of Moonlight Hotel by Scott Anderson
by Christina McNamee
Moonlight Hotel by Scott Anderson tells the story of David Richards, an American official caught in the middle of a revolution. Written by a reporter, this fictional story could show up in tomorrow's paper. It's unfortunate that t
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There Is an Island, But Who Wants It? A Review of The Possibility of an Island by Michael Houellebecq
by Rebecca Castellano
Meet Daniel. He's a smart, thoughtful comedian who also happens to be a chauvinist, selfish and, at times, even contemptible. His only desire for islands would be directly connected to the beautiful women he could meet there. He has no compass
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