Unfolding The History Of Napkin Art
The simple napkin has a surprisingly complex history. The masterful table centerpieces of the Renaissance were rich in status and meaning.
Books
Queen Of The Desert Gertrude Bell, In Her Own Words
Explorer and activist Bell is best remembered today for helping create the modern state of Iraq. A smartly edited new collection of her writings presents a fascinating (if not always smooth) portrait.
Author Walter Mosley Grew Up In LA But His Writing Is Soaked In The South
Crime novelist Walter Mosley has family roots in New Orleans. In a conversation with Renee Montagne, he offers his reflections on life in Louisiana, before and after Hurricane Katrina.
A House That's Not A Home In 'Bright Lines'
Tanwi Nandini Islam's debut novel is an understated queer coming-of-age tale, set in a vividly-portrayed Brooklyn brownstone whose residents all ache for some kind of home they've never been to.
'Cure' Hits The Reset Button On Suicidal Minds
Jesse Ball's A Cure For Suicide is a poignant psychological dystopia about dealing with painful memories and the true price of starting over.
Pizza As Autobiography In 'Slice Harvester'
Colin Atrophy Hagendorf decided to review a plain slice of pizza from every joint in Manhattan — a project that evolved into a two-fisted memoir of his own life and struggles with substance abuse.
In 'Let Me Explain You,' Food Serves As Language When It Fails
Annie Liontas talks about her debut novel, in which a Greek immigrant patriarch of a dysfunctional family has a premonition that he has only 10 days to live.
The Kindness Of Strangers Connects A Poet To Her Own Grief
Poet Elizabeth Alexander's new book is a memoir of her life with her husband, who died three years ago. During her book tour, readers began giving her keepsakes that help her work through her grief.
Dense, Fantastical 'Prodigies' Rewards The Patient Reader
Angélica Gorodischer's episodic, lyrical new novel follows (in a meandering sort of way) the magically tinged lives of a motley cast of boarders in a house that once belonged to a famous German poet.
'The Water Knife' Previews A Future Drought Scenario
A new novel doesn't take the easy way out but, instead, asks questions about the mutations of human institutions under the pressure of global warming, says commentator Adam Frank.