In Nancy Weber's riveting 1975 memoir-cum-cautionary tale The Life Swap, now back in print, she asks New York-based women if they want to swap lives. Her premise: You can borrow my name, wear my clothes, sleep with my husband, call my parents Mom and Dad. The result: can't-tear-yourself away tragedy.
Read MoreFrom revelations that L. Ron Hubbard personally did the hair and makeup of his hot-pansted teenage bodyguards to a description of Tom Cruise sitting in a Home Depot parking lot guessing at the emotional state of total strangers, Going Clear is a fascinating read. But Wright's achievement goes far beyond (admittedly excellent) gossip: he breaks down the organization's spectacularly empty linguistic structure to show us Scientology's beautiful, vacant house from the inside out.
Read MoreAs a friend to the fertile, I've attended many a shower where, despite our best literary intentions, the mom-to-be ends up with five copies of In The Night Kitchen. Here are some guidelines for picking great children's books that are meaningful, but won't end up plentiful.
Read MoreMichael Kupperman unleashes more of his universally appealing silliness with a fresh anthology of his comic book series, Tales Designed to Thrizzle.
Read MoreAnne Carson’s new book Red Doc> inspired me to think of other works of poetry that made me feel, in Dickinson's words, "as if the top of my head were taken off." Here’s the result: from an Ouija board-assisted volume to a "starving hysterical naked" masterpiece.
Read MoreFor those who want to add some literary cred to
their vacations, here are
some alternative destinations worth checking out.
If this is your first time at the rodeo, the rich literary history of Texas can seem intimidating. But there’s no better jumping off point than Larry McMurtry, the Lone Star State’s most prolific author.
Read MoreAs Americans, we like to think that culturally, we’re fairly dominant. Our pop music exports achieve levels of global fame—for example, Gaga—that far surpass their foreign counterparts—like Jedward (yes, I’m equating Gaga with Jedward, and why shouldn’t I, it’s all performance art). Up north, however, Canadians aren’t taking musical sloppy seconds from the US or anyone else.
Read MoreFor strained eyes, crowded commutes, and sleepless nights, here’s a roundup of 10 performers who've mastered the art of the audiobook.
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