Arts
'Sage' Is A Naturalist's Guide To The Historic Rabbits Of Waterloo
Leona Francombe's debut novel is all about rabbits: They eat, they sleep, and they think about the battle of Waterloo. Reviewer Jason Sheehan says it's a lovely story that sometimes lacks a point.
A 'Pinch' Of Magic Seasons This Half-Fantastical Neighborhood History
Steve Stern's slice of the mythical South is the Pinch, a hardscrabble immigrant neighborhood of northwest Memphis where the Torah trumps the King James Bible and the rabbis have magical powers.
Slavery, Famine And The Politics Of Pie: What Civil War Recipes Reveal
From recipes for apple pie without apples to advice on how to treat servants, the era's cookbooks hint at the turbulence outside the kitchen window. Indeed, food helped decide the war's outcome.
A Publishing Insider Turns The Page On A Bygone World In 'Muse'
Poet and publisher Jonathan Galassi knows just about everyone in his industry, and a lot of them turn up in his debut novel, Muse. Lynn Neary talks to Galassi about the writing (and publishing) life.
In 'Eating Lab,' A Psychologist Spills Secrets On Why Diets Fail
Diets will rarely lead to significant or sustainable weight loss, Traci Mann argues in a new book. Instead, she suggests trying proven mental strategies for reaching your "leanest, livable weight."
You'll Be Caught Fast By This Delightful 'Fly Trap'
Fredrik Sjöberg's wry memoir celebrates the beauty of limitations, tiny wonders and intense focus; in Sjöberg's case, a focus on the hoverflies he studies on his home island of Runmarö in Sweden.
A Tome For Peruvian Food, By Its Most Acclaimed Ambassador
Gaston Acurio is the world's premiere cheerleader for Peruvian cuisine, and he has just written a cookbook. It features 500 recipes from around the country — including more than 20 kinds of ceviche.
A Century After His Birth, Saul Bellow's Prose Still Sparkles
Bellow's centennial is being marked with reprints and a new biography. Today, critics still savor his metaphor-rich prose; his son remembers the personal pain the great writer caused.
CBS' Bob Schieffer Retires Sunday As Last Of The Old-School TV Anchors
Bob Schieffer, anchor of CBS' Face the Nation, retires Sunday after 46 years at the network. NPR TV Critic Eric Deggans says Schieffer is the last among a vanished breed of traditional news anchors.