Roundup: Humiliating Secrets, Jared Diamond, Jim Harrison, and More

by Mark Athtitakis | Jan-06-2013

“The first piece I assign my feature journalism classes is something a little more revealing: write three pages confessing your most humiliating secret,” Susan Shapiro wrote in an essay for the New York Times. Shapiro also spoke with the Freelance Strategist about the value of joining a writing organization like the NBCC.

Steve Weinberg reviews Jared Diamond’s The World Until Yesterday: What Can We Learn From Traditional Societies? for the Christian Science Monitor.

Jason Farago reviews Daniel Trilling’s Bloody Nasty People: The Rise of Britain’s Far Right for the New Republic.

Colette Bancroft reviews Jim Harrison’s new collection of novellas, The River Swimmer, for the Tampa Bay Times.

Joanna Scutts reviews Pat Barker’s novel Toby’s Room for the Washington Post.

Jane Ciabattari reviews Ayana Mathis’ novel, The Twelve Tribes of Hattie, for the San Francisco Chronicle, and discussed her favorite short-story collections of 2012 on NPR.

Heller McAlpin reviews Joe Queenan’s collection of essays on reading, One for the Books, for the Washington Post.

Adam Kirsch reviews Jami Attenberg’s novel The Middlesteins for the New Republic.

Michael Lindgren reviews Benjamin Anastas’ memoir Too Good to Be True for the Washington Post.

Your reviews and recommendations help seed these roundups: If you’re an NBCC member with a review you’d like considered for inclusion, please email nbcccritics@gmail.com. You can also get our attention by using the Twitter hashtag #nbcc or posting on the wall of our Facebook page.