December 2007
THIS MONTH’S SELECTION OF BOOKS
Exit Ghost
by Philip Roth, Houghton Mifflin 2007
Over the course of three decades and nine books, Philip Roth has relied upon his most famous character—novelist and alter ego Nathan Zuckerman—to give impetus and vitality to a series of memorable stories. His latest work offers the final chapter in the Zuckerman saga. In the process, Roth revisits many of the same characters and themes that figured in the first Zuckerman novel, 1979’s
The Ghost Writer.
Tennessee Valley Authority: Design and Persuasion
edited by Tim Culvahouse, Princeton Architectural Press 2007
This volume examines one of President Franklin Roosevelt’s most successful but least known New Deal programs: the Tennessee Valley Authority. During the Great Depression, the corporation worked to revitalize the Tennessee Valley area. Experts from many fields complete a missing chapter in the study of modern American architecture and design by interweaving technical, political, aesthetic, and cultural elements of the TVA’s history.
Noise/Music: A History
by Paul Hegarty, Continuum International Publishing Group 2007
This dense new survey traces the growth of noise music—from Futurism, Fluxus and musique concrète to 1970s progressive rock and punk, as well as more recent incarnations. The book’s selected discography is a special treat for the curious and “noise”enthusiasts.
Two Lives: Getrude and Alice
by Janet Malcolm, Yale University Press 2007
Sparks fly when acclaimed journalist Malcolm brings her psychological and literary expertise to bear on the work and lives of two fellow writers: the easily characterized yet oft misunderstood Gertrude Stein and Alice Toklas. Malcolm holds her subjects to the ethical standards of her profession in this smart and zesty bio-critical foray.
The Air We Breathe
by Andrea Barrett, W.W. Norton 2007
Pulitzer Prize finalist Andrea Barrett is the reigning grand-dame of serious historical fiction. In her latest offering, she looks to a public sanatorium in the northern Adirondacks, where Russian émigré Leo Marburg is admitted in 1916. Through collective first-person narration, Barrett poignantly evokes the lives of the patients and their contemporaries in early 20th century. An interesting read; it will appeal to fans of the author’s previous works and win her new fans. <<<
