My Specific Awe and Wonder: Poems by Reuben Jackson My rating: 5 of 5 stars I first came to know of Reuben Jackson as the host of the radio jazz program "The Sound of Surprise" on WPFW in Washington, D.C. It was my son who encountered him as a poet at the American Poetry Museum, an outreach museum where Jackson worked on weekends giving advice to and mentoring young poets.

The Joke by Milan Kundera My rating: 4 of 5 stars Milan Kundera's The Joke is a complicated novel. It takes place against a background of initial enthusiasm over the Communist Party takeover of Czechoslovakia, which is replaced by disillusion as authoritarianism and bureaucratic corruption create a state of decay. Ludvik, the main character, is a faithful member of the Communist party and a true believer.

Now and Then by Gil Scott-Heron My rating: 4 of 5 stars Gil Scott-Heron was a poet, writer, and musician whose work in the 1970s was a major influence on rap and hip-hop. Now and Then collects many of his poems and other writings. If you're familiar with him, it's got well-known song/poems like "Pieces of a Man," "Whitey on the Moon," and "The Revolution will not be Televised."

Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino My rating: 3 of 5 stars The Venetian explorer Marco Polo met Kublai Khan, the first emperor of the Yuan dynasty of China, in the 1270's. Kublai Khan was impressed with Marco Polo and made him foreign emissary, after which Marco Polo traveled throughout his empire for years. Italo Calvino's quirkly 1972 novel Invisible Cities…

David Copperfield by Charles Dickens My rating: 5 of 5 stars After reading Barbara Kingsolver's Demon Copperhead, I felt the need to revisit the book it was based on, Charles Dickens' David Copperfield. I'd first read it during or soon after college, and it's stood in my mind ever since as one of my favorite novels. It has lovable characters, an expansive plot, and social commentary delivered with a sugar coating.

This story shows what can happen when one species, namely us, is literally mixed with another species, namely the common house cat. And I think we can all

This story shows what can happen when one species, namely us, is literally mixed with another species, namely the common house cat. And I think we can all

My first science fiction story, "The First Felumans," was published today by Amazing Stories. I remember seeing this magazine on the racks and reading it when I was a teen. Launched in 1926, it was the first magazine devoted to science fiction. It's gone through many changes and is only online now, but I'm proud to be a part of that history. The story and audio version are now available for free for a limited time at

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Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver My rating: 4 of 5 stars My wife can attest to the fact that, ever since reading David Copperfield thirty-five or so years ago, I've half-jokingly talked about the novel I intended to write about a poor boy from Brooklyn, David Cooperstein, finding his way in the world. I suppose I could still do it, but…

The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars John Wyndham was a mid-twentieth century author who, to my mind, follows in the tradition of literate English science fiction writers like H.G. Wells and Olaf Stapledon. I'd only read his The Day of the Triffids before and liked it very much, although maybe not as much as the wonderfully weird (and not very faithful) sci-fi movie adaptation from the early 60's.

So happy to see my short story "Being Walter Becker" published in the Spring issue of the fine literary magazine Hedge Apple. You can buy a copy or read it online here: It's on page 91.

At the rink, they whoosh, these little bundled Beings, their scarves graffitiing the air My daughter weaving among them, her long legs Pumping, the bright pink kitty earmuffs, a blur

The Vegetarian by Han Kang My rating: 5 of 5 stars Han Kang's The Vegetarian focuses on Yeong-hye, who decides to become a vegetarian after a dream, although exactly why isn't clear. Her story is told in three novellas, each from a different point of view, starting with her callous husband, then her obsessive brother-in-law, and finally her overworked, deeply troubled sister.

The Mercury Prize-winning singer-songwriter melds genres and unpacks heavy questions on his new album Small Changes

December 24 Deck the halls, etc. Prep full turkey dinner Make sure Janie nails down “Hark!” TINSEL See if George remembers to pick up the Mer...

Stories, poems, essays, and interviews from The Paris Review by Louise Glück

At the Car Wash by Arthur RussellMy rating: 5 of 5 starsArthur Russell’s At the Car Wash, recent winner of the Rattle chapbook prize, is an extraordinary chapbook of poems centered around the…

Frankissstein: A Love Story by Jeanette WintersonMy rating: 2 of 5 starsIn Frankissstein: A Love Story, Jeanette Winterson plays in various ways on Mary Shelly’s seminal work Frankenstein. Pa…

“You are my voice in English,” Gabriel García Márquez told her. She insisted that her name appear on the covers of books she translated, including with that of Cervantes.