I’ve never had any qualms about expressing my love for the simultaneously predictable (Ripped from the headlines! There will be a plot twist!), yet unpredictable (What will that twist be?) Law & Order franchise. Actually that’s not totally true: I’m not particularly fond of Criminal Intent (Vincent D’onofrio’s character is one of the most irritating [...]
What would you do if you lost your mind? How would you feel if you were stricken with paranoia — not trusting your family or friends? Or if you began having seizures? Imagine struggling to simply speak. Or draw basic shapes. What if the doctors didn’t have any answers, and you had to accept the [...]
In his latest thriller, bestselling author James Grippando seems to take a cue from Law & Order with a novel ripped from the headlines. In a very non-scientific poll (i.e. asking my friends over drinks), people are torn over these type of stories. Some (including me) love the twist on events so sick, crazy, or [...]
Most authors aren’t good at reading their own books. This maxim, delivered so astutely and simply (and hilariously) by Adam Gopnik during his delightful appearance Thursday at megafest Miami Book Fair International, really can’t be stressed enough. Gopnik is probably an exception, judging from his storytelling — though I can’t be sure since he didn’t [...]
Michael Chabon writes annoyingly well about anyone, anywhere, anything. Be it a college professor in Pittsburgh, comic book artists in 1940s New York, Jewish policemen in Alaska, or, as in his latest book Telegraph Avenue, two owners of a vinyl record shop in Northern California. As many Chabon fans can attest, it has been a [...]
Sure, South Florida’s got a lot of “things to do” — if they involve either the ocean, or an establishment whose main purpose is serving alcohol for money. Until recently, though, that’s about where things have stopped. With the summer over and “season” now getting into full swing, though, the span of cultural events around [...]
I have no interest in sports. You may be able to convince me to watch the Super Bowl. Possibly March Madness. But that’s where it ends. However, for all my apathy toward almost all things athletic, there is one aspect I’m a sucker for: inspirational sports stories. Judge all you want, but the feel-good themes [...]
Amy Goodman and Denis Moynihan don’t pull any punches. So don’t expect any glossed-over facts about the American political machine in their new book The Silenced Majority. The sequel to their New York Times bestselling book Breaking the Sound Barrier, based on their Kings Features Syndicate column of the same name, Goodman (host of the grassroots public television and radio program [...]
UPDATE: Martin Amis’s appearance at Books & Books has been canceled today due to Tropical Storm Isaac. Whether the event will be rescheduled is unclear. Martin Amis is a classist—at least that’s what many have been saying in reference to his latest book Lionel Asbo: The State of England. Taking the book at face value, [...]
You already know this: while earning your college degree was informative and pleasant enough, plenty of us head in a different direction. Or maybe the experience wasn’t so awesome or helpful, but we’re sticking, steadfast and stubborn, to what we set out for in the first place. Joshua Miller, the executive director and founder of [...]
Venezuela has been in the media lately: following the death of Hugo Chávez, his chosen successor, Nicolas Maduro, beat challenger Henrique Capriles in the current election for presidency. It was a miniscule margin of a win—about 50.7%–and as of this write-up, a contested verdict. But if you’re the average United Statesian, you are less aware [...]
