Books

‘Infinite Jest’: A must-read in a digital age

These days our technologies — phones, laptops, personal voice assistants — seem to dominate every sphere of our existence. Take…

Browsing through Rochester’s used bookstores

There are few things like a used bookstore. There’s the distinctive smell, probably a cat slinking around, old records in…

Arya Stark and the trouble with narrative endgames

The books and the show are suffering from different strains of the same disease.

Is My Hero Academia the Japanese Marvel?

Perhaps the most well-known superhero franchise is the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The influences of the American superhero culture have spread…

What Stan Lee really gave us

We can sling words about Grandpa Marvel all day ― visionary, salesman, genius, liar. But everyone agrees the artistic world…

Biographer Ron Chernow offers history and advice at Mel Weekend

Pulitzer-winning biographer Ron Chernow imparted historical perspective and life advice this past Mel Weekend, painting an unconventional but compelling portrait…

Orhan Pamuk discusses work at Interfaith Chapel lecture

Pamuk’s talk — a discussion with Sevinç Türkkan, a religion and classic professor — revolved around “The Red-Haired Woman” and how it functions as a conversation between his own memory and existing mythology.

‘Lincoln in the Bardo’ is past, present, and poetry

“Lincoln in the Bardo,” the upcoming debut novel of George Saunders, brings troubled American history to our troubled American times.