Books

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A giant but little-known figure. (Image courtesy of Sutherland House Books.)

‘Norman Jewison: A Director’s Life’ by Ira Wells

Jewison finally gets his due

Norman Jewison, director of ‘Fiddler on the Roof,’ ‘Jesus Christ Superstar,’ and ‘Moonstruck,’ is one of the most prolific filmmakers of the second half of the 20th century. A new biography by Ira Wells finally gives him his due. Stephen Silver reviews.
Stephen Silver

Stephen Silver

Reviews 4 minute read
Poet and memoirist Elaine Terranova. (Photo by Millie L. Berg.)

‘The Diamond Cutter’s Daughter: A Poet’s Memoir’ by Elaine Terranova

Facets of family life

Poet Elaina Terranova has more in common with her father than she knew. ‘The Diamond Cutter’s Daughter’ explores power, fear, and longing in a Philadelphia Orthodox Jewish family. Anndee Hochman reviews.
Anndee Hochman

Anndee Hochman

Reviews 5 minute read
Ray Didinger looks beyond wins and losses. (Image courtesy of Temple University Press.)

‘Finished Business: My Fifty Years of Headlines, Heroes, and Heartaches’ by Ray Didinger

Head of a journalist, heart of a fan

Famed Philadelphia sports journalist Ray Didinger shares 50 years of a historic career in his new memoir, ‘Finished Business.’ Pamela Forsythe reviews.

Pamela J. Forsythe

Reviews 5 minute read
Navigating the duality of your identity can taste good, too. (Image courtesy of Penguin Random House.)

'Crying in H Mart’ by Michelle Zauner

The love language of food

In Michelle Zauner’s debut memoir, Crying in H Mart, grief and loss run parallel to heart and humor as a daughter comes to terms with her mother’s death and her Korean American identity. Emily Savidge reviews.
Emily Savidge

Emily Savidge

Reviews 3 minute read
A woman reckons with past heartbreak and her career’s future when she joins a rock band. (Image courtesy of Sourcebooks.)

‘The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes’ by Xio Axelrod

Women who rock

In Xio Axelrod’s new novel, love and ambition collide when a young guitarist joins an up-and-coming rock band. Kirsten Bowen reviews.
Kirsten Bowen

Kirsten Bowen

Reviews 3 minute read
A proper architectural history book that also appeals to the casual reader. (Image via pauldrybooks.com.)

‘Philadelphia Builds: Essays on Architecture’ by Michael J. Lewis

The future of a modest utopia

‘Philadelphia Builds,’ architectural historian Michael J. Lewis’s latest book, is a new look at this old city, just in time for everyone who’s sick of their own four walls. Gail Obenreder reviews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Reviews 5 minute read
Class, colonialism, and mysticism enfold the lives of those living and vacationing in Madagascar’s Naratrany in Andrea Lee’s novel ‘Red Island House.’ (Image courtesy of Scribner.)

‘Red Island House’ by Andrea Lea

The country that claims you

Andrea Lee’s latest novel follows a family over 20 years as they visit their vacation home in Madagascar and witness and participate in the luxury, intrigue, and exploitation of the island and its residents. Kirsten Bowen reviews.
Kirsten Bowen

Kirsten Bowen

Reviews 3 minute read
In their latest poetry collection, Kayleb Rae Candrili explores the joyful possibilities of trans embodiment. (Image courtesy of Copper Canyon Press.)

‘Water I Won’t Touch’ by Kayleb Rae Candrilli

Liberation in the trans experience

Kayleb Rae Candrilli’s newest poetry collection, ‘Water I Won’t Touch,’ explores what it means to live amidst crisis—ecological crisis, addiction crisis, and the crisis of endemic transphobia. Matthew John Phillips reviews.
Matthew John Phillips

Matthew John Phillips

Reviews 5 minute read
Quiara Alegría Hudes’s new memoir details the Pulitzer Prize winning playwright’s coming of age in Philadelphia. (Image courtesy of Penguin Random House.)

‘My Broken Language’ by Quiara Alegría Hudes

Beauty in brokenness

In her new memoir, playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes writes about coming of age as part of a large Puerto Rican family in North Philadelphia. Kirsten Bowen reviews.
Kirsten Bowen

Kirsten Bowen

Reviews 4 minute read
Notes of Thoreau and Emerson, with contemporary caution: Grant Clauser’s ‘Muddy Dragon.’ (Image courtesy of Codhill Press.)

‘Muddy Dragon on the Road to Heaven’ by Grant Clauser

A home for fish and stars

‘Muddy Dragon on the Road to Heaven,’ a new collection from Pennsylvania poet Grant Clauser, evokes the hope of searching for home in a broken world. Kelly Conrad reviews.
Kelly Conrad

Kelly Conrad

Reviews 5 minute read