The New York TimesNowReview: ‘The Mermaid of Black Conch,’ by Monique Roffeyverified_publisherThe New York Times - Shruti SwamyOff the shores of Black Conch, an imagined island in the Caribbean, in 1976, two American white men and a crew of Black island sailors hook a mermaid and wrestle her out of the water. Almost all the sailors experience a deep unease, “a sense of blasphemy,” at the act of capture: “So close, she was …
The New York TimesNowReview: ‘Fellowship Point,’ by Alice Elliott Darkverified_publisherThe New York Times - Kate ChristensenNovels featuring older characters are well suited to an exploration of questions about time, history and change. Unlike younger protagonists, they already know who they’ve become and what they’ve made of their lives. They’re not finished yet, but they are as busy reckoning with the past as they are …
The New York Times1 hour agoReview: “George Michael: A Life,” by James Gavinverified_publisherThe New York Times - Alan LightIn 1993, Princess Diana asked her friend George Michael to help organize a benefit concert for World AIDS Day. He came through magnificently, lining up the other acts and delivering a strong and heartfelt headlining set of his own. Then when it came time for the show to air as a TV special, the …
The New York Times1 day agoRichard Taruskin, Vigorously Polemical Musicologist, Dies at 77verified_publisherThe New York Times - William RobinCorrection: July 2, 2022 This article has been revised to reflect the following correction: Because of an editing error, an earlier version of this obituary misstated part of the current name of the High School of Music & Art, which Mr. Taruskin attended. It is the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School …
The New York Times1 day agoA Chameleon Flies From ‘The Blacklist’ to ‘The Kite Runner’verified_publisherThe New York Times - Laura ZornosaAn early scene in the new Broadway play “The Kite Runner” is mostly spoken in Dari, the Afghan dialect of Farsi, though the action depicts a distinctly American art form. “This town ain’t big enough for the two of us!,” the 12-year-old Amir exclaims to his best friend, Hassan. The two boys, …
The New York Times1 day agoSeeing Norma: The Conflicted Life of the Woman at the Center of Roe v. Wadeverified_publisherThe New York Times - Joshua PragerNorma McCorvey, the Jane Roe at the center of Roe v. Wade, was an imperfect plaintiff. When she undertook Roe as a young single woman in Dallas, she gave no thought to the fight for reproductive rights. She was barely getting by as a waitress, had twice given birth to children placed for adoption, …