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A wild ride through financial markets, big business and middle school, JR remains Gaddis’ most experimental novel, and perhaps his best. Told almost entirely through dialogue, most of it one-sided telephone conversations, JR follows a…
A album of slow drones, tension and release, Judith Hamann’s Shaking Studies is an interesting listen, a LP of four slow-moving, almost microtonal pieces that to open-eared listeners, are captivating. Shaking Studies is a solo…
A towering work of cultural history and criticism, Alex Ross’ new book Wagnerism takes a deep look at the always-controversial composer and his many legacies. Born in 1813, Wagner had his first operas appear before…
David Bowie – I’m Only Dancing (The Soul Tour 1974) (Parlophone, 2020) When David Bowie hit the road in 1974, it was with elaborate sets and a setlist heavy on Diamond Dogs, a tour captured…
Lucy Ellmann – Ducks, Newburyport (Biblioasis, 2019) A thousand-page long story about an Ohio housewife, Ducks, Newburyport isn’t like anything you’ve read before. Told in a running monologue, it’s a breathtaking display of writing and…
Last spring, filmmaker and activist Joshua M. Ferguson made headlines around Canada when they received Ontario’s first non-binary birth certificate, the climax of a lengthy struggle with the Ontario government. In their new memoir, Me,…
Although he never recorded a note, Buddy Bolden remains a towering figure in jazz. An influence on everyone from Louis Armstrong to Jelly Roll Morton, he helped define what we now recognize as jazz from…
In recent years, few concepts have resonated as much as toxic masculinity. From how it plays in personal relationships to how people engage with culture, it’s gone from the specialized world of academics to everyday…
There may not be a more overlooked figure in modern jazz than Carla Bley. With a career that stretches back over 50 years and a resume that includes stints with John McLaughlin, Jack Bruce, Gary…
