On the strict separation of literature and politics

The dream of “pure poetry” has beguiled those who would remove literature from the blaring disorderly world, and those who would emasculate ...

Best fiction of 2012

Amazon has released its choices for best books of the year (h/t: Jenny Che at Page Views ). Louise Erdrich’s The Round House , which I revi...

Historical novels

W. D. Howells, too, disliked them. “[I]t is asking a good deal of people in these busy, practical times,” he said, “to go back with you for ...

Statement on my firing

On Thursday afternoon I was fired from my position as literary blogger and book critic for Commentary magazine. The facts are these. At abo...

The conservative case for gay marriage

My post at Commentary ’s Contentions blog on Wednesday, calling upon Republicans to “drop their opposition to same-sex marriage,” occasione...

Barzun on intellect

Jacques Barzun has a died at the age of 104. Over at Literary Commentary , I have written a short obituary of a man I greatly admired. Aft...

The Island Within

Originally published by Jewish Ideas Daily in May 2010. Revised and expanded. Ludwig Lewisohn is nearly forgotten today, but in his day he ...