Category Archives: Books

A review of George Packer’s “The Unwinding”

Posted on 21 May 2013 by

[Christian Science Monitor] In the Christian Science Monitor, I’ve got a review of George Packer’s wonderful new book, The Unwinding. Back in 2005, in a a profile of Packer published in the Columbia Journalism Review, David Glenn praised the author’s previous book, … Continue reading →

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A review of Paul Theroux’s “Last Train to Zona Verde”

Posted on 13 May 2013 by

[Boston Globe] In the Boston Globe, I’ve got a review of Paul Theroux’s latest (and possibly last) major travel book, Last Train to Zona Verde. For long stretches it’s really good, but I still found myself disappointed with the end, where Theroux cuts his … Continue reading →

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Frank Bill and the new Midwestern lit

Posted on 24 April 2013 by

[The American Prospect] In the latest issue of The American Prospect, I’ve got a long review of Frank Bill’s novel Donnybrook. I also consider a small but growing number of Midwestern fiction writers, including Donald Ray Pollock and Bonnie Jo … Continue reading →

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A review of Jeanne Marie Laskas’s Hidden America

Posted on 16 September 2012 by

[The Boston Globe] In Sunday’s Boston Globe I’ve got a review of Jeanne Marie Lasksas’s new book Hidden America: From Coal Miners to Cowboys, an Extraordinary Exploration of the Unseen People Who Make This Country Work. Laskas is one of the best … Continue reading →

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“A typical case of a small-town boy who betrayed his roots”: David Foster Wallace as a Midwestern writer

Posted on 29 August 2012 by

[Chicago Reader] In this week’s Chicago Reader, I’ve got a long review-essay on David Foster Wallace. The review part centers on Every Love Story is a Ghost Story, D. T. Max’s new biography of the author, and the book is just OK. … Continue reading →

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