David Cooper's Blog, page 12
January 19, 2014
Books: E.L. Doctorow’s novel Andrew’s Brain explores a brain scientist’s mind
In my New York Journal of Books review I describe E.L. Doctorow’s new novel as “an enjoyable page turner” that is “both bittersweet and disturbing.” Also see my examiner article where you’ll also find a video of Doctorow discussing Melville’s Moby Dick with Margaret Atwood.
Filed under: book reviews, examiner articles Tagged: American literature, authors, book reviews, books, contemporary fiction, E.L. Doctorow, fiction, neuroscience, novels
January 8, 2014
book review | Leaving the Sea: Stories
In my NYJB review of Leaving the Sea by Ben Marcus I recommend the book “to serious readers who will want to reread its stories gaining new insights with each reading.” Also see my examiner.com article: Books: novelist Ben Marcus returns to the short story in Leaving the Sea.
Filed under: book reviews, examiner articles Tagged: Ben Marcus, book reviews, books, fiction, literature, short stories 
December 11, 2013
Book review: The Remains of Life by Zureya Shalev
From my NYJB review: “. . . readers prone to depression might consider acquiring a prescription for antidepressant medication before attempting to read The Remains of Love.” Also see my examiner article: “Israeli books: Zeruya Shalev’s 5th novel views family through a Freudian lens”
Zeruya Shalev
Filed under: book reviews, examiner articles Tagged: book reviews, books, fiction, israeli, literature, novels
November 22, 2013
JFK: Lines of Fire, a Verse Docu-drama
On 11/22/63 I was a 4th grader in PS 110 in Manhattan. That afternoon our lesson was interrupted by a radio broadcast over the PA system describing the shooting and eventually President Kennedy’s death. Only then did the principal or asst. principal announce early dismissal. On the door of my bedroom I had a poster of the presidents and added “-1963″ under the picture of President Kennedy. Three decades later I wrote JFK: Lines of Fire, a Verse Docu-drama
JFK: Lines of Fire is a sequence of dramatic documentary vignettes culled from the literature concerning the assassination of President Kennedy. . Many of these found poems are dramatic monologues in the voices of people who had information about the assassination and either failed to prevent it or lacked a context to understand such information until it was too late. These accounts share certain emotional undercurrents, the need to act balanced by a sense of resignation, the shock of recognition balanced by a callous bravado. Whether or not Oswald acted alone or was nuts, there was (is) a wider insane acceptance of violence that (through these dramatic voices) provides an emotional context to this event. In this sense the real subject of this book is our American vernacular and the ways these themes are expressed in our speech. JFK: Lines of Fire was first published by PulpBits in 2003; PulpBits went out of business in March 2007, and I am happy to make it available here.
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: assassination, conspiracies, ebooks, JFK, JFK50, poetry
October 29, 2013
Book review: The Gorgeous Nothings: Emily Dickinson’s Envelope Poems
In my New York Journal of Books review I describe The Gorgeous Nothings as “. . . one gorgeous book . . . like attending a museum exhibition in the comfort of one’s own home.” For a comparison between Ms. Dickinson’s draft of a poem and the posthumously published version see my examiner article.
Emily Dickinson (left) at age 29.
Filed under: book reviews, examiner articles Tagged: book reviews, books, coffee table books, Emily Dickinson, poetry
October 28, 2013
Book review: The Lion Seeker portrays South Africa’s Jewish community
Set in 1930s and 1940s Johannesburg, South Africa, Jewish-Canadian writer Kenneth Bonert‘s debut novel The Lion Seeker is a bildungsroman, immigration story, and family saga rolled into a page turner. In my New York Journal of Books review I refer to the book as a promising debut. To hear an interview with Mr. Bonert go to my examiner article.
Kenneth Bonert
Filed under: book reviews, examiner articles Tagged: bildungsroman, coming of age, debut novels, fiction, immigration stories, jewish, literature, South Africa
October 27, 2013
Book review: Half the Kingdom by Lore Segal explores old age
Here is my New York Journal of Books review of Lore Segal‘s new novel about old age Half the Kingdom. For additional commentary and excerpts from the novel see my examiner article too.
Lore Segal
Filed under: book reviews, examiner articles Tagged: authors, book reviews, books, fiction, Half the Kingdom, Lore Segal, novels, old age, writers
September 27, 2013
Amos Oz returns to the kibbutz in Between Friends
Here is my New York Journal of Books review of Amos Oz‘s new book of short stories Between Friends. As I discuss in my examiner article, this book and his previous book of short stories reflect two distinct emotional reactions to capitalism’s defeat of socialism in Israeli society and its economy.
Amos Oz
Filed under: book reviews, examiner articles, Uncategorized Tagged: Amos Oz, book reviews, books, capitalism, fiction, israel, israeli, kibbutz, literature, short stories, socialism
September 9, 2013
Subtle Bodies | New York Journal of Books
Subtle Bodies by Norman Rush portrays a happy marriage. Read my review on New York Journal of Books. See my additional remarks on examiner.com.
Norman Rush
Filed under: book reviews, examiner articles, Uncategorized Tagged: book reviews, books, fiction, literature, marriage, Norman Rush, novels, publishing
