Ronald Johnson’s American Romanticism Ronald Johnson’s American Romanticism
Even those of us who enjoy Ralph Waldo Emerson will apologize for his poetry. His essays—most of which began as lectures—are erudite but predominantly concerned with honesty and co…
Feb 26, 2025 / Books & the Arts / David B. Hobbs
The Peculiar Legacy of E.E. Cummings The Peculiar Legacy of E.E. Cummings
Revisiting his first book, The Enormous Room, a reader can get a sense of everything appealing and appalling in his work.
Jul 22, 2024 / Books & the Arts / David B. Hobbs
John Keats’s Politics of Pain and Renewal John Keats’s Politics of Pain and Renewal
Anahid Nersessian offers a radical and unforgettable reading of the British writer’s odes—one that upends our sense of his poetic project.
Oct 21, 2021 / Books & the Arts / David B. Hobbs
The New Worlds of Aimé Césaire The New Worlds of Aimé Césaire
The radical vision of the Martinique poet and politician.
Jul 3, 2018 / Books & the Arts / David B. Hobbs
Between the News and a Prayer Between the News and a Prayer
Danez Smith’s poetry bends language to hope for the possibility of a better world.
Nov 15, 2017 / David B. Hobbs
The Poetics of Jazz The Poetics of Jazz
A new book presents an alternative aesthetic history of jazz—and is also a challenge to all music critics.
Jul 20, 2017 / David B. Hobbs