Critical Notes

After hearing Richard Blanco’s inaugural poem, Washington Post commentator Alexandra Petri wondered if poetry is dead. John Deming has some strong words in response; so does David Biespiel. Daniel Mendelsohn

Last week's announcement of the NBCC finalists generated plenty of coverage, from the Los Angeles Times to the Washington Post to the New York Times to the Minnapolis Star-Tribune to

Poet Harvey Shapiro, editor of the New York Times Book Review from 1975 to 1983, died last week at 88. Jane Ciabattari reviews George Saunders’ short-story collection Tenth of December

“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

Chelsea Philpot reviews Lauren Oliver’s young-adult novel The Spindlers for the New York Times. David Haglund is among the many novelists and critics taking part in the Millions’ annual A

Leah Triplett reviews Marianne Mathieu’s study of the French artist Berthe Morisot, Berthe Morisot: 1841-1895, for Bookslut. Heller McAlpin lists her favorite books of the year at NPR.org and commemorates

Meganne Fabrega reviews chef Julia Pandl’s memoir, Memoir of the Sunday Brunch, and author Benjamin Anastas’ memoir, Too Good to Be True, for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Scott McLemee reviews Ronald

The year-end lists have begun: Jim Carmin and John Freeman are among the critics contributing to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune’s roundup of critics’ favorites, Jane Ciabattari lists her five favorite short-story

Last week the National Book Awards were given in fiction to Louise Erdrich for her novel The Round House, in nonfiction to Katherine Boo for Behind the Beautiful Forevers, in

Julia M. Klein reviews David Nasaw’s The Patriarch: The Remarkable Life and Turbulent Times of Joseph P. Kennedy for the Boston Globe. Gina Webb reviews Laird Hunt’s novel Kind One