by Tomek Jedrowski “I am very attracted by bad taste — it is a lot more exciting than that supposed good taste which is nothing more than a standardized way of looking at things.” — Helmut Newton, 1987
Review: The Vanishers by Heidi Julavits
by Austen Rosenfeld Witnesses of paranormal phenomena no longer belong to the fringes of society. Julavits’ alternate world institutionalizes astrology and magic practice as a dignified occupation, and mind-reading is a profession your Jewish mother would be proud of.
Review: Hilary Berseth Exhibit
by Ela Bittencourt The sculptures were cacti-like formations, with soft curvatures and elegant flowing lines; the poetic manifestation of mathematical formulas embedded in the natural world.
Review: Paris Photo
by Tomek Jedrowski Every year, photohysteria descends on Paris in the form of the world’s leading photography fair, Paris Photo.
Review: The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides
by Jaime R. Herndon The incessant name-dropping of various authors, pop culture references and literary theories clutters the first part of the book. It makes the novel feel self-absorbed.
Review: Cyprien Gaillard Exhibit
by Alice Pfeiffer The forgotten yet oddly spectacular spaces encourage viewers to reconsider their standards of beauty.
Review: No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
by Ella Delany Yet the success of the No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series suggests we are happy to leave reality tucked away.
Review: Inside By Alex Ohlin
by Yardenne Greenspan As an MFA student, I find this book comforting.
Review: Summer 2010’s Greatest Hits
by Austen Rosenfeld Rather than telling stories the“old- fashioned” way, a consistent forward-moving narrative revealed from a single protagonist, these books present their stories from multiple vistas, shifting first person accounts, retelling the same event via alternate realities. They are…