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Pittsburgh Review of Books

@pghreviewofbooks.bsky.social

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Intelligent cultural criticism and literary analysis intended for the reading public. Pittsburgh, PA. http://www.pghrev.com

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Pittsburgh Review of Books @pghreviewofbooks.bsky.social · 1h

"The next morning, I went to the psychiatrist’s office. I was received by an affable middle-aged man, who heard me out in silence, taking notes. When I spoke of the book, however, his eyes lit up."

Read an excerpt from AS IF BY MAGIC by Edgard Telles Ribeiro.
pghrev.com/remains-from...

Remains from the Fair - Pittsburgh Review of Books

At the time my father began to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, I didn’t realize at first he was confusing things a little. At most, I noticed that he became

Reposted by Pittsburgh Review of Books

Rust Belt Magazine @beltmagazine.bsky.social · 2d

A group of Pittsburgh writers recently convened in the historic Pump House in Munhall to share pieces created in response to the evocative photographs of Huck Beard. We’ll be sharing them this week, back from our hiatus, now publishing as Rust Belt Magazine.

beltmag.com/october-2025/

October 2025 - Belt Magazine

By Ed Simon On an autumnal evening in mid-September of 2025, Carnegie Mellon University creative writing professor and accomplished novelist Sharon Dilworth convened a reading which included herself a...

Pittsburgh Review of Books @pghreviewofbooks.bsky.social · 1d

Totality Without Signification: Ignacio M. Sánchez Prado on how Michael Lentz’s novel transforms language and image into a totality that resists interpretation. @isanchezprado.bsky.social
pghrev.com/totality-wit...

Totality Without Signification - Pittsburgh Review of Books

In the late 1990s, I took a college class called “Literary Models: Novel,” part of a sequence of eight such classes aimed to teach undergraduate students in

Pittsburgh Review of Books @pghreviewofbooks.bsky.social · 1d

How could America, that storied land of liberty, be home to mass incarceration, police killings, and racialized criminal justice? David Garland explains how America’s racialized political economy gives rise to this extraordinary outcome.

pghrev.com/disorganizat...

Disorganization, Danger, and Decision-Making - Pittsburgh Review of Books

We have seen why American authorities default to a penal control regime. But why are these penal controls so aggressive? Compared to other developed nations,

Pittsburgh Review of Books @pghreviewofbooks.bsky.social · 1d

"Our first winter upstate, we hear a shifting and settling inside the wall. We know it is real—an animal—because our cat Toby goes and stands by that stretch of baseboard."

Rebecca van Laer with Object Lessons Impressions on the Cat. pghrev.com/cat/

Cat - Pittsburgh Review of Books

Our first winter upstate, we hear a shifting and settling inside the wall. We know it is real—an animal—because our cat Toby goes and stands by that stretch

Reposted by Pittsburgh Review of Books

Mark Vernon @askwilliamblake.bsky.social · 3d

Taking #WilliamBlake seriously includes taking his clairvoyance seriously - not explaining so as to explain away. Moreover, he thought so too. Thanks to @pghreviewofbooks.bsky.social for publishing this excerpt from “Awake!”. pghrev.com/the-angels-o...

The Angels of William Blake - Pittsburgh Review of Books

Wrestling with their weird and wonderful presence is central to Blake: dodging that, out of distaste or embarrassment, is really dodging him. They are central

Pittsburgh Review of Books @pghreviewofbooks.bsky.social · 4d

A neurasthenic summer leads to an encounter with German painter Gotthard Graubner’s ethereal pillow paintings, sparking an unlikely meditation on medieval mysticism, Romantic poetry, and the revelatory power of abstraction. By A. V. Marraccini.
pghrev.com/not-not-reve...

Not Not Revelation: On Negative Capability, Meister Eckhart, And The Paintings of Gotthard Graubner - Pittsburgh Review of Books

Pittsburgh Review of Books @pghreviewofbooks.bsky.social · 4d

"Blake’s point is that the problems of today are symptoms of a wider cultural issue: the imprisoned imagination is one that fails to see alternative ways forward."

Mark Vernon, @askwilliamblake.bsky.social, on the work of William Blake. pghrev.com/the-contrari...

The Contraries of Blake - Pittsburgh Review of Books

Division, fragmentation, bloody strife: the watchwords of our times. People of many persuasions are growing increasingly troubled by the tension. Many are

Pittsburgh Review of Books @pghreviewofbooks.bsky.social · 4d

"The colourful stories of Blake’s second sight, remembered by so many who knew him that they can’t be discounted, reach back into his early childhood."

Read an excerpt from AWAKE! WILLIAM BLAKE AND THE POWER OF THE IMAGINATION, by @askwilliamblake.bsky.social.
pghrev.com/the-angels-o...

The Angels of William Blake - Pittsburgh Review of Books

Wrestling with their weird and wonderful presence is central to Blake: dodging that, out of distaste or embarrassment, is really dodging him. They are central

Pittsburgh Review of Books @pghreviewofbooks.bsky.social · 4d

A writing retreat at Rudyard Kipling’s abandoned Vermont home reveals how friendship can transform even the most haunted places.

Read "With Rikki-Tikki-Tavi at the Kipling House" by Eric Lehman. pghrev.com/with-rikki-t...

With Rikki-Tikki-Tavi at the Kipling House - Pittsburgh Review of Books

We had been in Rudyard Kipling’s house for less than an hour when I accidentally sliced a chunk out of my finger with a razor. After a panicked ten minutes

Pittsburgh Review of Books @pghreviewofbooks.bsky.social · 8d

"The city was such a mysterious maze to me that I thought the trains had to be, too. And yes, while they weave and contort, taking right angles and running along the hypotenuse, they aren’t shy."

Read "New York City" by Katie Hanson. pghrev.com/new-york-city/

New York City - Pittsburgh Review of Books

It feels obvious that all the uptown trains also go downtown. Almost in a what goes up, must come down kind of way. But, when I first moved here I was utterly

Pittsburgh Review of Books @pghreviewofbooks.bsky.social · 9d

“Clearly, Kennedy views himself as the same kind of savant that Faust is portrayed as in nearly every iteration of his legend.”

Read "RFK is America’s New Faust" by Adam Kotsko. pghrev.com/rfk-is-ameri...

RFK is America’s New Faust - Pittsburgh Review of Books

The Age of Trump is also the age of the Faustian bargain. Time and time again, commentators declare that individuals or groups who throw in with Trump are

Pittsburgh Review of Books @pghreviewofbooks.bsky.social · 9d

Are you going to see Elizabeth Gilbert in Pittsburgh on Monday night? Don't miss our interview with the author. ⬇️

Pittsburgh Review of Books @pghreviewofbooks.bsky.social · 15d

“Secrecy is the greenhouse in which addiction blooms, flourishes, and metastasizes.”

Sharon Dilworth talked with Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the new book ALL THE WAY TO THE RIVER, in advance of her 9/29 appearance with @pghartslectures.bsky.social.

pghrev.com/talking-abou...

Talking about Memoir with Elizabeth Gilbert - Pittsburgh Review of Books

Many of the millions – and there are millions – who've read Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir Eat, Pray, Love did so with a great deal of envy. They envied the way

Pittsburgh Review of Books @pghreviewofbooks.bsky.social · 12d

"Through images of lambs, fish, and hair, Lucie Brock-Broido’s poems in THE MASTER LETTERS stage the fractured consciousness of the anorexic self."

Margaret Saigh on the fragmented selves and animal figures in the poetry of Lucie Brock-Broido. pghrev.com/fragmented-s...

Fragmented Selves and Animal Figures - Pittsburgh Review of Books

The opening poem of Lucie Brock-Broido’s, The Master Letters, “Carrowmore,” sets the tone for the collection’s baroque and elliptical style. In the poem,

Pittsburgh Review of Books @pghreviewofbooks.bsky.social · 13d

“I really loved trying to craft a narrative voice that was distinctly recognizable across time yet that also changed and grew in organic ways.”

Aodhán Ridenour talked to Patrick McGinty about his new book TOWN COLLEGE CITY ROAD, out 9/30 from @uwiscpress.bsky.social. pghrev.com/the-language...

The Language Equation - Pittsburgh Review of Books

Town College City Road’s expansive arc is right there in the title. Patrick McGinty’s second novel follows protagonist Kurt Boozel from his insular hometown

Reposted by Pittsburgh Review of Books

University of Michigan Press @uofmpress.bsky.social · 14d

"This book is rigorous in its scholarship, but it also pulses with life, with drag, with joy, and with grief." Check out this wonderful review of @larrylafountain.bsky.social 2021 book "Translocas" from the @pghreviewofbooks.bsky.social! Read: buff.ly/WjJLQnm

The Politics of Puerto Rican Drag and Trans Performance - Pittsburgh Review of Books

Lawrence La Fountain-Stokes has written something that is part history, part theory, and part love letter. At its heart, Translocas is a meditation on the

Reposted by Pittsburgh Review of Books

University of Wisconsin Press @uwiscpress.bsky.social · 15d

Happy publication day to Patrick McGinty, whose new novel TOWN COLLEGE CITY ROAD is out today! Learn more: uwpress.wisc.edu/Books/T/Town...

Thanks to @pghreviewofbooks.bsky.social for publishing an excerpt from the book this morning! Check it out here: pghrev.com/town-college...

At top, a banner reads "available now" and off to the left there's a photo of the cover of TOWN COLLEGE CITY ROAD, which gives the feeling of a subway map. Then, there are two quotes and a blurb: “An emotionally complex coming-of-age story.” — Kirkus Reviews “McGinty creates a vivid picture of the journey from boyhood to manhood and the risks and uncertainties of the choices one makes. Readers will empathize with the difficulty of finding one’s place in the world.” — Library Journal “McGinty’s work is shockingly, Joyceanly immersive. To read Town College City Road is to see your own world that much more clearly.” — Sarah Marshall, host of You’re Wrong About

To the left, a photo of the cover of TOWN COLLEGE CITY ROAD. To the right, two blurbs: “Personal and sweeping, honed to the marvel of the moment, this coming-of-age against the backdrop of a tech (r)evolution offers subtle critique about what we value and why—both in ourselves and others. Neither a hero nor quite an underdog, Kurt faces challenges that reflect the fragmented and fragile social structure that Millennials and Gen Z occupy.” — Alex Myers, author of Revolutionary “No one concocts a world like McGinty. This unflinching odyssey illuminates the hidden costs of ambition and the pull of home with breathtaking clarity. Town College City Road will leave readers both shattered and strangely hopeful—a brilliant, unmissable novel that cements a major literary talent.” — Chelsea Bieker, author of Madwoman and Godshot

Pittsburgh Review of Books @pghreviewofbooks.bsky.social · 15d

In Prague the personal is historical: Cynthia Paces reflects on writing PRAGUE: THE HEART OF EUROPE, out now from @oxfordacademic.bsky.social.
pghrev.com/in-prague-th...

In Prague the Personal is Historical - Pittsburgh Review of Books

The other day someone asked me how long it took to write my new book, Prague: The Heart of Europe. “Six years, but really my whole life,” I answered without

Pittsburgh Review of Books @pghreviewofbooks.bsky.social · 15d

“Secrecy is the greenhouse in which addiction blooms, flourishes, and metastasizes.”

Sharon Dilworth talked with Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the new book ALL THE WAY TO THE RIVER, in advance of her 9/29 appearance with @pghartslectures.bsky.social.

pghrev.com/talking-abou...

Talking about Memoir with Elizabeth Gilbert - Pittsburgh Review of Books

Many of the millions – and there are millions – who've read Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir Eat, Pray, Love did so with a great deal of envy. They envied the way

Pittsburgh Review of Books @pghreviewofbooks.bsky.social · 18d

“The islands have names like: Dicks, Diamond, Fishook, Goose, Speaker Heck, Rush, Whipple, Little Ivanhoe, Sweetbriar, Little Recluse, Refuge, Iroquois, Perch, Huckleberry, Hens and Chickens Group...”

Read "Evidences: An Essay in Six Parts" by Susan Daitch.
pghrev.com/evidences-an...

Evidences: An Essay in Six Parts - Pittsburgh Review of Books

Pittsburgh Review of Books @pghreviewofbooks.bsky.social · 18d

"...Part history, part theory, and part love letter." Mick Muerte reviews Lawrence La Fountain-Stokes’ “Translocas: The Politics of Puerto Rican Drag and Trans Performance.” pghrev.com/the-politics...

The Politics of Puerto Rican Drag and Trans Performance - Pittsburgh Review of Books

Lawrence La Fountain-Stokes has written something that is part history, part theory, and part love letter. At its heart, Translocas is a meditation on the

Reposted by Pittsburgh Review of Books

Hill Nadell Literary Agency @hillnadell.bsky.social · 19d

Read an excerpt of Geoff Peck's CITY OF CLANS in @pghreviewofbooks.bsky.social about Jeremy Starcevic, a community college student in Pittsburgh grappling with the truth about his friends, his own sexuality, and the part masculinity plays in his young life.
pghrev.com/geoff-pecks-...

Geoff Peck's "City of Clans" - Pittsburgh Review of Books

The rental truck glides to a halt in front of the three-story apartment building that looks like it was constructed back before steel. It’s the first time

Pittsburgh Review of Books @pghreviewofbooks.bsky.social · 19d

“Plato asked, ‘Why is a chair a chair?’ What makes a chair not a table, or a table not a chair?”

Read Object Lessons Impressions on the Chair, by Mark Yakich.

pghrev.com/chair

Chair - Pittsburgh Review of Books

Plato asked, Why is a chair a chair? What makes a chair not a table, or a table not a chair? Is a stool just a tiny table, or a small chair without

Pittsburgh Review of Books @pghreviewofbooks.bsky.social · 20d

“What best characterized Laughlin was his taste and his courageous, discerning eye.”

Read "In Praise of James Laughlin" by Ilan Stavans. pghrev.com/in-praise-of...

In Praise of James Laughlin - Pittsburgh Review of Books

The life which others pay let us bestow,

Pittsburgh Review of Books @pghreviewofbooks.bsky.social · 21d

New on the site: read an exclusive excerpt from Geoff Peck’s upcoming novel “City of Clans” (University of Iowa Press), which dramatizes #Pittsburgh during the 2009 G20 summit.
pghrev.com/geoff-pecks-...

Geoff Peck's "City of Clans" - Pittsburgh Review of Books

The rental truck glides to a halt in front of the three-story apartment building that looks like it was constructed back before steel. It’s the first time