Literary critics don’t agree on much about Wallace Stevens, but the poet’s latest biography proves at least this much: Stevens’ spirit animal was an elephant. The image, crafted by critic Randall Jerrell, is appropriate for Stevens. The big, blond, bumbling poet and businessman’s quiet life and obscure poetry have remained enigmatic even as his reputation...
When you have to sell the toes of saints for a living, you know something is rotten in the system. At first, “The Relic Master,” a comedy about the exploits of a Reformation-era businessman, doesn’t sniff of political commentary. But journalist Christopher Buckley’s new novel, published in December 2015, uses a relic collector’s run-in with...
If you’re a fan of superhero movies with predictable storylines, no humor, cliche themes, and drawn-out action sequences, then “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” is the perfect movie for you. If you prefer a fun superhero flick, then don’t waste your time on Zack Snyder’s latest action film, which is too long, too predictable,...
Maurice Manning’s poetry in his 2010 collection “The Common Man” is an invitation to converse with the unique voices of his rustic Kentucky home. Manning uses each poem as an opportunity to narrate a single tale. But beyond merely relating events, his narrators sing of themselves, their concrete personalities and manners, and their relationships to...
First, let’s introduce the characters. There’s Red Dog, the loyal companion, and Black Damon, the trusty friend. There’s Mad Daddy, “with the shotgun full of history, / The horse and the flame, and the domino shoes.” And then there’s Lawrence Booth, self-styled hero, lover of nature, brilliant, boisterous, starry-eyed dreamer, and “bull’s-eye boy.” The setting...