J. M. Ledgard's "Submergence'

The novel as metaphor

Part international thriller, part philosophical romance, J. M. Ledgard's Submergence is that rare postmodern fiction, a work whose disparate parts cohere finally into an unexpected whole. It also suggests that our hyperintelligent species may be too clever to survive. Submergence. By J.M. Ledgard. Jonathan Cape, 2011. 191 pages. www.amazon.com.

Robert Zaller

Apr 21, 2012 · Articles · 7 minute read

In defense of Janet Malcolm (Part II)

Let me walk with Janet while the others ride by

Dan Rottenberg's criticisms notwithstanding, I remain Janet Malcolm's devoted admirer. Show me an original, compelling, well-constructed voice, and I will tolerate content that rankles others. Besides, you could level the same criticisms at Tolstoy and Tom Wolfe.

Feb 14, 2012 · Articles · 6 minute read

Sylvia Nasar's "Grand Pursuit'

The liberation of the 90 per cent

Why are we so much better off materially than our ancestors? The author of A Beautiful Mind tells the story of the economists who wrestled with the process that liberated humankind from “the nightmare of the past.”

Tom Purdom

Jan 24, 2012 · Articles · 4 minute read

"Townie,' by Andre Dubus III

Behind the literary curtain

How could such a sensitive writer have been such an insensitive father? In Townie, the son wrestles with that puzzle.

Tom Purdom

Jan 17, 2012 · Articles · 4 minute read

In defense of Janet Malcolm (Part i)

Truth as Silly Putty, or: Why Janet Malcolm makes me say ‘Wow'

Janet Malcolm refuses to buy into journalists' illusions of objectivity. That posture has earned her many critics. Count me among her admirers.

Bob Levin

Jan 10, 2012 · Articles · 6 minute read

Paul Hendrickson's Hemingway

The old man and the boat: Hemingway, Cuba and me

Paul Hendrickson has pursued Hemingway the way I once pursued e.e. commings. The lesson: Don't be shy. If someone has written a poem or a book that means a lot to you, reach out.

John Dowlin

Nov 30, 2011 · Articles · 6 minute read

Richard Burgin's "Shadow Traffic'

Persecutors and victims, or: Who is seducing whom?

Richard Burgin's new story collection, Shadow Traffic, confirms his standing as one of America's masters of short fiction. With a voice uniquely his own, he creates a world of urban anomie and dread that Kafka would recognize.

Robert Zaller

Oct 04, 2011 · Articles · 8 minute read

Richard Burgin's "Rivers Last Longer'

Beyond Jekyll and Hyde

Evil, Richard Burgin suggests in his new novel, is a radical form of schizophrenia, and the Devil has an address in a Pennsylvania exurb. Burgin writes knowledgeably about the literary scene in New York and Philadelphia and hair-raisingly about sexual predation in his continuing exploration of the underside of American life.

Robert Zaller

Sep 07, 2010 · Articles · 5 minute read