Jason Pettus's Blog, page 31

Book Review: "Go Set a Watchman" by Harper Lee

(CCLaP is dedicated to reviewing as many contemporary books as possible, including self-published volumes; click here to learn how to submit your own book for possible review, although be warned that it needs to have been published within the last 18 months to be considered. For the complete list of all books reviewed here, as well as the next books scheduled to be read, click here.) Go Set a Watchman By Harper Lee HarperCollins Reviewed by Jason Pettus Look out! Harper Lee has finally writt...

Book Review: "Stone Mattress," by Margaret Atwood

(CCLaP is dedicated to reviewing as many contemporary books as possible, including self-published volumes; click here to learn how to submit your own book for possible review, although be warned that it needs to have been published within the last 12 months to be considered. For the complete list of all books reviewed here, as well as the next books scheduled to be read, click here.) Stone Mattress By Margaret Atwood It's not always easy to quibble about a book you like. Of course, a stony-f...

Book Review: Dog Whistles, Walk-Backs, and Washington Handshakes: Decoding the Jargon, Slang, and Bluster of American Political Speech, by Chuck McCutcheon and David Mark

(CCLaP is dedicated to reviewing as many contemporary books as possible, including self-published volumes; click here to learn how to submit your own book for possible review, although be warned that it needs to have been published within the last 18 months to be considered. For the complete list of all books reviewed here, as well as the next books scheduled to be read, click here.) Dog Whistles, Walk-Backs, and Washington Handshakes: Decoding the Jargon, Slang, and Bluster of American Po...

The CCLaP Weekender for July 10th is here!

It's Friday, which means it's time for the newest issue of the Pushcart-Prize-nominated CCLaP Weekender! This week's issue features a new original piece of fiction by Kevin Munley; a photography feature by Isabella Cruz Chong; and a look at the next seven days of literary events happening all across the city. The PDF is completely free to download, using the links below, or can be viewed online in its "flippable" form at Issuu.com (or just use the embedded version above, if your particular...

American Odd: "The Manson File," edited by Nikolas Schreck

The Manson File By Nikolas Schreck Amok Press (1988) Review by Karl Wolff The era commonly known as The Sixties ended with three notorious events: the My Lai Massacre, Altamont, and the Tate/LaBianca murders. The Age of Aquarius ended in spattered blood, a concert gone awry, grisly murders, and a military atrocity. Lieutenant Calley participated in a war crime but was later pardoned, transfigured into a hero for the Silent Majority. Charles Manson, another icon, became a symbol of a Counter-...

Stalking the Behemoth: "Women and Men," by Joseph McElroy

Women and Men By Joseph McElroy, 1987 Reviewed by Chris Schahfer It's funny how things work - the deeper into the twentieth century I stalk the behemoth, the more it changes. The first few entries in my series are, it's safe to say, widely known books. Not everyone's read Don Quixote, Moby-Dick, the Brothers Karamazov or Ulysses, but at minimum, most people are aware of the books and their reputations. Even if you're not, you've at least heard white whales or tilting at windmills used as idi...

The CCLaP Weekender for July 3rd is here!

It's Friday, which means it's time for the newest issue of the Pushcart-Prize-nominated CCLaP Weekender! This week's issue features a new original piece of fiction by Jim Wrona; a photography feature by Gioia Zloczower; and a look at the next seven days of literary events happening all across the city. The PDF is completely free to download, using the links below, or can be viewed online in its "flippable" form at Issuu.com (or just use the embedded version above, if your particular device...

Book Review: "On Immunity: an Innoculation," by Eula Biss

(CCLaP is dedicated to reviewing as many contemporary books as possible, including self-published volumes; click here to learn how to submit your own book for possible review, although be warned that it needs to have been published within the last 12 months to be considered. For the complete list of all books reviewed here, as well as the next books scheduled to be read, click here.) You might expect a book called On Immunity to be a little dry, or else too esoteric for its own good. I know...

Book Review: "Uncertain Justice: The Roberts Court and the Constitution," by Laurence Tribe and Joshua Matz

(CCLaP is dedicated to reviewing as many contemporary books as possible, including self-published volumes; click here to learn how to submit your own book for possible review, although be warned that it needs to have been published within the last 18 months to be considered. For the complete list of all books reviewed here, as well as the next books scheduled to be read, click here.) Uncertain Justice: The Roberts Court and the Constitution By Laurence Tribe and Joshua Matz Picador Reviewe...

The CCLaP Weekender for June 26th is here!

It's Friday, which means it's time for the newest issue of the Pushcart-Prize-nominated CCLaP Weekender! This week's issue features a new original piece of fiction by Joseph G. Peterson; a photography feature by Andreas Till; and a look at the next seven days of literary events happening all across the city. The PDF is completely free to download, using the links below, or can be viewed online in its "flippable" form at Issuu.com (or just use the embedded version above, if your particular d...