AltWeeklies Wire
Peter Carey Examines the Democratic National Convention of 1968new
But Carey's book is less about the events of the period than about its immediate consequences; about what happens when rich kids go revolutionary; about those who create tidal changes, and those who, through naivete or weakness, are swept up in them.
The Portland Mercury |
Alison Hallett |
02-21-2008 |
Fiction
How to Write Memoir (Really)new
Not much in the way of a front-to-cover book, Natalie Goldberg's Old Friend from Far Away is an engaging, practical means to an end.
The Portland Mercury |
Courtney Ferguson |
02-14-2008 |
Nonfiction
Yes, It's a Werewolf Booknew
In Toby Barlow's surprising first novel, contemporary Los Angeles is secretly inhabited by packs of men who can, at will, transform themselves into dogs.
The Portland Mercury |
Alison Hallett |
02-14-2008 |
Fiction
Men Bitch About Womennew
Anthologies can be kind of repetitive, but the credentials of editor Ben Karlin combined with the book's impressive list of contributors (Andy Richter, Stephen Colbert, Neal Pollack, and more) piqued my interest all the same.
The Portland Mercury |
Justin W. Sanders |
02-08-2008 |
Fiction
'The Delivery Man': Balls-out Scarynew
Joe McGinniss Jr.'s characters live in the epitome of a moral morass—Las Vegas—but these twentysomething desert rats are searching for a way out. Their efforts make for a fast-paced read, full of scares, gross-outs, and waste.
The Portland Mercury |
Courtney Ferguson |
02-01-2008 |
Fiction
Ninjas! Robots! Feminism!new
This week, the acclaimed comic book Y: The Last Man comes to an end.
The Portland Mercury |
Erik Henriksen |
01-24-2008 |
Books
Tags: Brian K. Vaughan, Y: The Last Man
Inspired By Real-life Folliesnew
When artist and zinester Nicole Georges discussed her sexuality with her mom last year, it turned into such an awkward conversation that the 27-year-old made a video re-creation of it to gain some perspective.
The Portland Mercury |
Kevin Sampsell |
01-17-2008 |
Nonfiction
Beth Lisick Seeks Help in 'Helping Me Help Myself'new
When Lisick unleashes her inner snark, she's laugh-out-loud funny, but when she toes the book's tagline and earnestly tries to "fix" herself, she's boring, kind of annoying, and self-indulgent.
The Portland Mercury |
Alison Hallett |
01-10-2008 |
Nonfiction
The Food Book to Read This Yearnew
Michael Pollan sets out to determine why the so-called Western diet is the unhealthiest in the world; how, despite a full-fledged societal obsession with food and nutrition, Americans have gotten to the perverse point where we are both overweight and undernourished.
The Portland Mercury |
Alison Hallett |
12-27-2007 |
Nonfiction
Jonathan Messinger's Cringe-Lit and Morenew
His style in the 15 stories that make up Hiding Out doesn't change much, but each story accomplishes a lingering pang that makes them all feel like individual showcases.
The Portland Mercury |
Kevin Sampsell |
12-20-2007 |
Fiction
Remember the Brilliant Steve Martin?new
Martin's slim new memoir, Born Standing Up, covers his stand-up years, and thankfully it's a lot more interesting of a story to tell than a facile tale of perseverance and cheap hotel rooms.
The Portland Mercury |
Chas Bowie |
12-13-2007 |
Nonfiction
English Speakers, Meet Tetsuo Miuranew
More than four decades after its original release, Miura's novel has been translated into English for the first time, introducing Western audiences not only to one of Japan's most revered writers.
The Portland Mercury |
Chas Bowie |
11-29-2007 |
Fiction
'Famous Writers School' Offers Chucklesnew
Steven Carter's novel zooms in on the fictional correspondence between an inept Famous Writers teacher and his three ragtag pupils.
The Portland Mercury |
Chas Bowie |
11-08-2007 |
Fiction
Increase Your Vocabulary While You Poopnew
A quintessential bathroom reader, Anu Garg (creator of the A.Word.A.Day email newsletter at wordsmith.org) reports on the travels, tribulations, and histories of more than 300 words, which makes for a semi-interesting squat, but you'll never be taking this book out on the town.
The Portland Mercury |
Courtney Ferguson |
11-08-2007 |
Nonfiction
'McSweeney's 24': Gorgeous, As Alwaysnew
One half of the new McSweeney's consists entirely of a tribute to the postmodern master of short fiction, the late, great Donald Barthelme, with recollections by friends, colleagues, and admirers such as George Saunders, Ann Beattie, Robert Coover, and Lawrence Weschler.
The Portland Mercury |
Chas Bowie |
11-01-2007 |
Fiction
