Genevieve Valentine appears in the following:
'The Strange Case Of Dr. Couney' Tells Of Fair Sideshows That Saved Babies' Lives
Thursday, August 02, 2018
In a mosaic mystery told in vignettes, cliffhangers, curious asides, and some surreal plot twists, journalist Dawn Raffel investigates the secrets of the man who changed infant care in America.
6 Books For The Beach At The End Of The World
Sunday, July 08, 2018
Sometimes, you want to leave the world behind and escape into a book — but if you're in the mood for a good disaster story, we've got a selection of summer reads that are just the right kind of grim.
An Academic Adventure Goes Awry In 'Confessions Of The Fox'
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
Jordy Rosenberg's novel follows a professor who acquires the autobiographical "confessions" of legendary thief Jack Sheppard, and tries to add some academic footnotes — but things don't go to plan.
It'll Take More Than A Few Angry Villagers To Kill Off 'Frankenstein'
Monday, June 18, 2018
Mary Shelley's timeless novel gave us not only an enduring trope — the misunderstood monster — but an equally enduring way to talk about what happens when human knowledge outpaces responsibility.
'Heavenly Bodies' Is Gorgeous — But Full Of Strange Silences
Saturday, June 02, 2018
The companion piece to this year's Met Gala, Heavenly Bodies functions beautifully as an art object — but it has some odd blank spots, particularly around the contributions of women to Catholicism.
'The Queen's Embroiderer' Stitches Up A Twisted Family Saga
Sunday, May 06, 2018
Joan DeJean's latest dive into French history starts with something simple — the appointment of a royal embroiderer. But then things get weird: inheritance fraud, elopements, double lives and more.
'How To Suppress Women's Writing:' 3 Decades Old And Still Sadly Relevant
Saturday, April 21, 2018
This collection of essays by novelist and scholar Joanna Russ was first published in 1983 — but it reads as if it might've come out last week. "Get angry; then get a reading list," says our critic.
Birds Open Bottles And Catfish Hunt Pigeons When 'Darwin Comes To Town'
Sunday, April 08, 2018
Evolutionary biologist Menno Schilthuizen's new book is a breezy (sometimes too breezy) account of the ways animals have adapted to city life, and the staggering impact humans have had on evolution.
A 'Portable' Overview Of A Complex, Compelling History
Sunday, July 30, 2017
The Portable Nineteenth-Century African American Women Writers, thoughtfully edited by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Hollis Robbins, is a rewarding read that reminds us the past isn't a single story.
How Thelma & Louise Drove Hollywood 'Off The Cliff'
Sunday, July 02, 2017
Becky Aikman's new book is a fierce, funny chronicle of the making of Thelma & Louise — the Hollywood forces arrayed against it, and the effect it had on the industry on both sides of the camera.
'Democracy In Chains' Traces The Rise Of American Libertarianism
Sunday, June 18, 2017
Nancy MacLean's book stretches back to 19th century Vice President — and ardent secessionist — John C. Calhoun to find the roots of modern libertarianism, which she calls a threat to democracy.
'Opening Wednesday' Dusts Off Some Overlooked Cinematic Treasures
Wednesday, June 07, 2017
Charles Taylor's new book collects his writings about cult classics of the 1970s — films like Two-Lane Blacktop, Vanishing Point and Foxy Brown — and what they say about the culture of that era.
In 'Beyond Respectability,' A History of Black Women As Public Intellectuals
Thursday, June 01, 2017
Brittney C. Cooper's history of black women thinkers traces decades of struggle against racism and misogyny. It's a crucial cultural study and a dense, serious read that rewards close attention.
We Have Always Been Bored — 'Yawn' Wonders Why
Saturday, May 20, 2017
Mary Mann's new book digs into a phenomenon as old as humanity: boredom. Why do we get bored? Is there a cure? Yawn is a thoughtful read, but its mix of autobiography and scholarship doesn't jell.
Actions Can Have Horrifying Consequences In 'The Boy On The Bridge'
Saturday, May 06, 2017
M.R. Carey follows up his zombie apocalypse thriller The Girl With All The Gifts with a standalone story set in the same world, also featuring an unusual child and a crew of determined scientists.
'The Radium Girls' Is Haunted By Glowing Ghosts
Thursday, April 27, 2017
Kate Moore's account of the sufferings and struggles of the Radium Girls — factory workers who were poisoned by the glowing radium paint they worked with — reads like a true crime narrative.
A Potent, Uneasy Blend Of Passion And Fatalism In 'The Woman Who Had Two Navels'
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
No matter what's happening in this new collection of work from the late Filipino writer Nick Joaquin, it's probably already too late — but that doesn't stop his characters from struggling.
'Where The Water Goes' Is Effortlessly Engaging — And Also Scary
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
In Where the Water Goes, David Owen uses the history of the Colorado River to lay out the immense complexity of America's water situation, reminding us that both water and time are finite resources.
Tale As Old As Time: The Dark Appeal of 'Beauty And The Beast'
Sunday, March 26, 2017
Disney's new live-action extravaganza is just the latest retelling of this classic fairy tale. But why do Beauty and her Beast have such a hold on us? And why are there so many versions of their tale?
In '2140,' New York May Be Underwater, But It's Still Home
Sunday, March 19, 2017
Kim Stanley Robinson envisions a future that's closer than we like to think in New York 2140. Sea levels 50 feet higher have swamped Manhattan, but there's a tiny thread of hope that we might float.