“The Painted Word” by Tom Wolfe
Famed journalist Tom Wolfe, known for his flamboyant and eclectic writing style, manages to both take down and praise the New York City arts scene during the culturally ripe period between the mid-’40s through the mid-’70s.
“The Painted Word” investigates the relationship between artists and critics of major artistic movements such as abstract expressionism, minimalism and pop art. Wolfe’s primary thesis revolves around the increasing importance of art theory in creating art, and how the artists, like Jackson Pollock and Andy Warhol, had a symbiotic relationship with major critics like Clement Greenberg and Harold Rosenberg.
“The Painted Word” is incredibly funny, full of life and only sometimes a bit unfair. Wolfe analyzes an exciting time in American art history without the usual intellectualization that often comes along with it.
— Alexa Donovan, Arts Editor
“Tender is The Flesh” by Augustina Bazterrica, translated by Sarah Moses
Marcos works at a local processing plant where he slaughters humans in Augustina Bazterrica’s “Tender Is The Flesh.” In this dystopian reality, all of the animals have been killed because of an incurable infectious virus, making their carcasses poisonous to consume. There is only one source of meat left to eat: humans. However, the government doesn’t want to refer to the specimens they breed for consumption as humans anymore, so they are called “special meat.”
Marcos doesn’t morally agree with his line of work, but he tries not to think about it too much so he can get through his days. He feels extremely alone and depressed — his son died unexpectedly, his wife abandoned him and his father is battling dementia. One day, he is given a high-quality specimen — a female bred for consumption — and he decides to break the most forbidden rule when he shows her compassion. I was drawn in by this book’s horrifically captivating plot and was left in awe by the characters’ exploitation of humanity. As it did for me, this novel just might leave you considering vegetarianism.
— Siobhán Minerva, Deputy Arts Editor
“Autumn” by Ali Smith
Brilliant and fragmented, Ali Smith tells a peculiar love story between Daniel, a centenarian, and Elizabeth, a woman in her early thirties. Daniel and Elizabeth are unconventional soulmates, and the novel serves as a record of their literary discussions, musings about painter Pauline Boty and long after-school walks.
The novel’s time-effacing and somewhat experimental structure, written through nonlinear vignettes, is not only emblematic of Daniel and Elizabeth’s relationship, but also highlights that memory can span decades. With palpable physical imagery and nostalgia embedded in each line, Smith documents the type of love that so few experience and too many overlook. It’s a melding of love, art history, the broken politics of the United Kingdom, pop culture and more — making a mess out of everything beautiful.
— Levi Langley, Deputy Sports Editor
“Interpreter of Maladies” by Jhumpa Lahiri
About a year ago, my friend and I decided to go through the Pulitzer prize-winning fiction novels of the 21st century. After reading critically acclaimed works, we gradually drifted away from our journey, but in an effort to reconnect with reading, I found myself drawn back to “Interpreter of Maladies.”
Jhumpa Lahiri, who shares my experience of moving to the United States as a toddler, creates narratives that resonate deeply with my own sense of cultural identity. Her nine stories weave through the Bengali American immigrant experience, following characters from Kolkata to Boston, seamlessly exploring themes of assimilation, liminality and displacement. What makes Lahiri’s writing so remarkable is her ability to craft complex individuals, who are rooted in reality and vivid in evocative, but not inordinate detail. Her prose flows with measured grace, each sentence carefully constructed yet powerful in its simplicity.
— Krish Dev, Director of Creative & Digital Strategy
Contact the Arts Desk at [email protected].
