|
December 20, 2024 
|
|
|
 |
| Isabella Cotier |
Dear fellow readers,
If you haven’t read it yet, drop everything and immerse yourself in A.O. Scott’s divine close read of Diane Seuss’s poem “Romantic Poet,” which I lingered over for an hour earlier this week. (Scott has also parsed Philip Larkin’s “Party Politics” and — my favorite — Frank O’Hara’s “Having a Coke With You.”)
I asked him how he picks which poems to write about. “They need to be short — ideally sonnet length or less — accessible and, in some way, fun rather than a chore to read,” he told me. “‘Romantic Poet’ seemed just right: short, funny, not too difficult, but just tricky enough to benefit from a little explication. And the topic — how or whether we can separate the artist from the art — is something we never get tired of arguing about.”
It seems to be poetry week here at the Book Review — we’ve also got Dwight Garner’s incisive look at Percival Everett’s poetry, reviews of “What in Me Is Dark: The Revolutionary Afterlife of Paradise Lost” and Ryan Ruby’s remarkable “Context Collapse,” and a quiz inspired by “Invisible Strings: 113 Poets Respond to the Songs of Taylor Swift.”
Here’s wishing all of you a wonderful holiday season. I hope it’s filled with family, friends, good cheer and — of course — good books. We’ll be off next week. See you in the new year!
Tina Jordan
Deputy Editor, The New York Times Book Review
Like this email?
Sign-up here or forward it to your friends. Have a suggestion or two on how we can improve it? Let us know at newsletters@nytimes.com. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times.
|
THIS WEEK IN THE BOOK REVIEW |
 | | Bridgeman Images |
Nonfiction What Satan’s Biographer Can Teach Us About Tyranny and ResistanceA new book about John Milton and “Paradise Lost” traces the 17th-century epic’s influence and relevance through the ages. By Ed Simon |
 | | Karsten Moran for The New York Times |
Poetry Percival Everett’s Prose Is Having a Moment. How Is His Poetry?The winner of this year’s National Book Award in fiction has published several collections of poems. Our critic takes a look. By Dwight Garner |
 | | Ana Cuba for The New York Times |
How a Scrappy New Publisher Landed 25 Books on the Best-Seller List in a YearBloom Books took off with the help of E L James, the author of “Fifty Shades of Grey.” It broke with tradition and became the fastest-growing imprint in romance. By Alexandra Alter |
|
LOOKING FOR A THRILLER, HISTORICAL FICTION OR A ROMANCE NOVEL? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
BEST SELLERS
