Nyrb
Ishmael Reed’s “Yellow Back Radio Broke-Down”
My introduction to the Dalkey Archive Press edition of Reed’s postmodern Western. (“The Yeehaw Papyrus,” The New York Review of Books)Ishmael Reed’s “Yellow Back Radio Broke-Down”
Chang and Eng, the “Siamese Twins”
A review of two biographies of the performers—by Yunte Huang and Joseph Andrew Orser—who became slaveholders after their success in the circus. (“The Great Assimilationists,” The New York Review of Books)Chang and Eng, the “Siamese Twins”
Scholastique Mukasonga
An essay about the novelist and memoirist and her portrayal of Rwanda’s history. (“Fatal Beauty,” The New York Review of Books)Scholastique Mukasonga
Teju Cole’s “Blind Spot”
A review of the writer’s debut photography exhibition and accompanying book, which explore the limits of vision. (The New York Review of Books)Teju Cole’s “Blind Spot”
Derek Walcott and Peter Doig
An essay on the poet Derek Walcott and his collaboration with the artist Peter Doig on “Morning, Paramin,” which explores the history and landscape of the Caribbean. (“Southern Sublime,” The New York Review of Books)Derek Walcott and Peter Doig
Colson Whitehead’s “The Underground Railroad”
A review of the novel, which considers it alongside previous neo–slave narratives. (The New York Review of Books)Colson Whitehead’s “The Underground Railroad”
Marlon James’s “A Brief History of Seven Killings”
A review of the novel, which centers on the attempted assassination of Bob Marley. (“Ambush, Night & Day,” The New York Review of Books)Marlon James’s “A Brief History of Seven Killings”