blue: season, by Chris Lombardi

The gendered lines of genius

Philly novelist Chris Lombardi tackles the legacy of James Joyce—and perhaps all creative, eccentric people who have the benefit of being men—in this intricate novel, casting new eyes on Joyce’s daughter Lucia. Michael R. Fisher reviews.

Michael Fisher

Jul 08, 2023 · Reviews · 4 minute read

Songs for the Gusle, by Prosper Mérimée; translated by Laura Nagle

Folklore and fakelore

A recent translation by Laura Nagle brings the early work of Prosper Mérimée to English. Songs for the Gusle brims with 19th-century Romantic spirit while keeping a game afoot in the footnotes. Helen Walsh reviews.

Helen Walsh

Jul 08, 2023 · Reviews · 3 minute read

Street Smart x 7: A Street Smart Series Omnibus, edited by Alison M. Lewis

Stories of cities

Seven stories that were originally published individually come together in this new collection from Philly indie publisher Frayed Edge Press. The diverse collection is unified by vivid characters and urban settings. Crystal Sparrow reviews.

Crystal Sparrow

Jul 08, 2023 · Reviews · 5 minute read

Side Notes from the Archivist, by Anastacia-Reneé

Archives and alchemy

Poet Anastacia-Reneé might as well be a chemist: her mix of genres in this new collection is a crackling reactive substance that ranges widely without ever losing the author’s singular voice. Emily R. Zarevich reviews.

Emily R. Zarevich

Jul 08, 2023 · Reviews · 3 minute read

A new edition of The Philadelphia Negro: A Social Study, by W.E.B. Du Bois

“One of the most beautifully written social-science books ever”

UPenn professor of sociology and Africana studies Tukufu Zuberi says W.E.B. Du Bois’s 1899 book The Philadelphia Negro is a beautifully written, essential text. It’s out in a new edition from Penn Press. Pamela J. Forsythe reviews.

Pamela J. Forsythe

Jul 03, 2023 · Reviews · 5 minute read

Bucks County Playhouse presents Jonathan Larson’s Tick, Tick… Boom!

A first-rate local production

Bucks County Playhouse’s Tick, Tick… Boom! tops the recent film version, with two facts hanging over any version of the show: Jonathan Larson will create the megahit Rent, and he’ll die suddenly right before it opens. Stephen Silver reviews.

Stephen Silver

Jun 27, 2023 · Reviews · 3 minute read

Fabric Workshop and Museum presents Sonic Presence (or Absence): Sound in Contemporary Art

Secondary sounds

Fabric Workshop and Museum combines visual and audio elements for its latest show, but this installation fails visitors who want to pay sustained attention to the work. Aaron Pond reviews.

Aaron Pond

Jun 27, 2023 · Reviews · 4 minute read

Anne-Marie Mulgrew and Dancers Company presents NOW! Three Years Later

Dancing through the pandemic

AMM & DCO has successfully carved a creative niche in Philly’s dance scene among the city’s larger institutions. Its latest presentation mixes new and recent work reflecting on the pandemic. Camille Bacon-Smith reviews.

Camille Bacon-Smith

Jun 25, 2023 · Reviews · 3 minute read

People’s Light presents Boo Killebrew’s Lettie

An awkward homecoming

Onstage at People’s Light, Boo Killebrew’s Lettie charts one woman’s bumpy road to re-entry after incarceration. Cameron Kelsall reviews.

Cameron Kelsall

Jun 22, 2023 · Reviews · 4 minute read

Brandywine Museum of Art presents Joseph Stella: Visionary Nature

A fluid early futurist

Brandywine Museum of Art presents the first major Joseph Stella exhibition in more than 30 years, proving this pioneering, imaginative modernist’s ongoing importance. Gail Obenreder reviews.

Gail Obenreder

Jun 19, 2023 · Reviews · 5 minute read