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Open Letters Review

Open Letters Review

An Arts & Literature Review

Open Letters Review

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July 16, 2019

It’s a Mystery: There is no “I” in Team

July 16, 2019/ Irma Heldman
It’s a Mystery: There is no “I” in Team

A trail full of twists and turns that takes delightful detective duo Lydia Chin and Bill Smith deep into unlikely places.

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July 16, 2019/ Irma Heldman/
Fiction-Mystery/Suspense, It's a Mystery
It's a Mystery, Irma Heldman, S. J. Rozan, Pegasus Crime, mystery series, detective fiction, mystery fiction
July 12, 2019

Fleishman is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner

July 12, 2019/ David Culberg
Fleishman is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner

Just like each of Roth’s two-dozen novels, Fleishman is in Trouble is fundamentally Jewish.

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July 12, 2019/ David Culberg/
Literary Fiction
Taffy Brodesser-Akner, David Culberg, literary fiction
July 10, 2019

Deep River by Karl Marlantes

July 10, 2019/ Steve Donoghue
Deep River by Karl Marlantes

Marlantes writes smoothly readable prose and has a solid skill at developing characters over time.

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July 10, 2019/ Steve Donoghue/
Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction
Karl Marlantes, literary fiction, historical fiction, Steve Donoghue
July 10, 2019

The Big Book of Classic Fantasy

July 10, 2019/ Steve Donoghue
The Big Book of Classic Fantasy

There is indeed a banquet in these pages, with selections ranging broadly across time and languages.

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July 10, 2019/ Steve Donoghue/
Anthologies/Short Stories, Fiction-Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Ann VanderMeer, Jeff VanderMeer, Vintage, fantasy, best of collections, Steve Donoghue
July 08, 2019

Child's Play, directed by Lars Klevberg

July 08, 2019/ Alex Sorondo
Child's Play, directed by Lars Klevberg

2019’s Child’s Play remake navigates the traps of postmodern horror, and provides some interesting commentary on our political-digital moment.

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July 08, 2019/ Alex Sorondo/
Film & Theatre; Adaptations
movie review, horror, Child's Play, Lars Klevberg, Alex Sorondo
July 06, 2019

The Patient Assassin by Anita Brand

July 06, 2019/ Steve Donoghue
The Patient Assassin by Anita Brand

Not just an engrossing biography of Dyer, but an excavation of the life of Udham Singh.

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July 06, 2019/ Steve Donoghue/
History
Anita Brand, India, Steve Donoghue, History
July 05, 2019

Hate Land by Daryl Johnson

July 05, 2019/ Steve Donoghue
Hate Land by Daryl Johnson

The author systematically removes the idea that we are far from this kind of radicalization.

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July 05, 2019/ Steve Donoghue/
Politics & Economics
Daryl Johnson, Prometheus Books, American extremism, political science, radicalism
July 03, 2019

Panic Attack: Young Radicals in the Age of Trump by Robby Soave

July 03, 2019/ Steve Donoghue
Panic Attack: Young Radicals in the Age of Trump by Robby Soave

A clear-eyed and comprehensive field guide to a political and social fringe movement.

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July 03, 2019/ Steve Donoghue/
Politics & Economics
Robby Soave, All Points Books, radicalism, Generation Z, politics, Donald Trump, Steve Donoghue
July 01, 2019

Assad or We Burn the Country by Sam Dagher

July 01, 2019/ Peggy Kurkowski
Assad or We Burn the Country by Sam Dagher

What one comes away with after 600 pages of a Middle East generally on fire is the aching need for a little hope.

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July 01, 2019/ Peggy Kurkowski/
History
Sam Dagher, Middle East, Syria, Peggy Kurkowski, History
June 28, 2019

Old Town Road Single by Lil Nas X

June 28, 2019/ Olive Fellows
Old Town Road Single by Lil Nas X

A song with a country twang and a trap beat that’s been raising blood pressure since March 2019.

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June 28, 2019/ Olive Fellows/
Art & Music
music review, country music, Lil Nas X, Columbia Records, Olive Fellows
June 27, 2019

Eat Like a Fish by Bren Smith

June 27, 2019/ Steve Donoghue
Eat Like a Fish by Bren Smith

The particular kind of “climate cuisine” Smith has in mind is a little tough to swallow.

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June 27, 2019/ Steve Donoghue/
Science/Technology, Animals & Nature
Bren Smith, environmental science, environmental movement, sustainability, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, Steve Donoghue
June 26, 2019

Intimate Ties by Robert Musil

June 26, 2019/ Bailey Trela
Intimate Ties by Robert Musil

Both novellas are experiments in the densening of time.

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June 26, 2019/ Bailey Trela/
Literary Fiction
Robert Musil, Peter Wortsman, Archipelago, German translation, Bailey Trela, literary fiction, novellas
June 25, 2019

It’s a Mystery: “If you want your enemy to fail, give him something important to do”

June 25, 2019/ Irma Heldman
It’s a Mystery: “If you want your enemy to fail, give him something important to do”

The usual suspects and some worthy newcomers keep the suspense at breakneck speed.

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June 25, 2019/ Irma Heldman/
Fiction-Mystery/Suspense, Fiction-Crime & Thrillers, It's a Mystery
Mick Herron, Soho Crime, Irma Heldman, It's a Mystery, crime fiction, mystery fiction
June 24, 2019

The Ten Loves of Nishino By Hiromi Kawakami

June 24, 2019/ Steve Donoghue
The Ten Loves of Nishino By Hiromi Kawakami

The intentionally drab prose throws extra emphasis on the plot.

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June 24, 2019/ Steve Donoghue/
Fiction-Romance, Fiction-Translated
Hiromi Kawakami, Allison Markin Powell, Japanese fiction, Japanese Translation, romance, translations
June 23, 2019

The Conservative Sensibility by George Will

June 23, 2019/ David Murphy
The Conservative Sensibility by George Will

“. . . in a democracy everything depends, ultimately, on public opinion, and public opinion is shiftable sand.”

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June 23, 2019/ David Murphy/
Politics & Economics, History
George Will, politics, conservatism, David Murphy
June 21, 2019

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous By Ocean Vuong

June 21, 2019/ Steve Donoghue
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous By Ocean Vuong

Almost, but not quite, a modern classic of gay fiction.

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June 21, 2019/ Steve Donoghue/
Biography/Memoir
Ocean Vuong, memoir, Penguin Random House
June 20, 2019

Moonbound by Jonathan Fetter-Vorm

June 20, 2019/ Steve Donoghue
Moonbound by Jonathan Fetter-Vorm

The stories of these people have been told before, but this graphic novel format actually enhances the historical record.

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June 20, 2019/ Steve Donoghue/
Science/Technology
Jonathan Fetter-Vorm, Hill and Wang, Apollo 11, spaceflight, space program, MacMillan Publishers, Steve Donoghue
June 19, 2019

The Paper Wasp by Lauren Acampora

June 19, 2019/ Olive Fellows
The Paper Wasp by Lauren Acampora

A disturbing psychological thriller heavy in atmosphere that doubles as a cautionary tale.

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June 19, 2019/ Olive Fellows/
Literary Fiction
Lauren Acampora, Grove Atlantic, literary fiction, Hollywood, Olive Fellows
June 18, 2019

Fall, or, Dodge in Hell By Neal Stephenson

June 18, 2019/ Steve Donoghue
Fall, or, Dodge in Hell By Neal Stephenson

A fascinating fictional exploration of post-Singularity consciousness lumbering around in a foam fat suit.

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June 18, 2019/ Steve Donoghue/
Fiction-Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Neal Stephenson, William Morrow, technology, techno-thriller, science fiction, Steve Donoghue
June 17, 2019

The Origin of Empire by David Potter

June 17, 2019/ Steve Donoghue
The Origin of Empire by David Potter

Built on a careful blending of original sources and secondary sources, both scholarly and popular.

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June 17, 2019/ Steve Donoghue/
History
David Potter, Harvard University Press, Ancient Rome, Roman history, Steve Donoghue
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Editors:

Steve Donoghue
Sam Sacks
Britta Böhler
____________________

Eric Karl Anderson
Olive Fellows
Jack Hanson
Jennifer Helinek
Justin Hickey
Hannah Joyner
Zach Rabiroff
Jessica Tvordi

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