Crimson staff writer
Denise J. Xu
Latest Content
The Art of Stuffed Animals
Artists, scientists, and hunters all use different techniques and find different meanings in the baffling and unique practice of taxidermy.
Frazier Maps a Bleak Landscape in ‘Travels in Siberia’
When asked why he had ventured into the territory (five times in 16 years), Frazier replied, “Well, I think, I wanted to step out of time… You’re going somewhere, and you’re no longer just in the company of your own contemporaries. You’re in the company of everybody that’s ever traveled here.”
Art Without Depth in Cunningham’s Latest Novel
“By Nightfall” intends a penetrating examination of middle-aged life and its crumbling foundations, but it lacks focus and convulses with histrionics, rendering the book simply teenage angst for grown-ups.
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
As flawless a blend as Leo’s falsetto, a tight drum line, and a melodic guitar solo can be, there’s no particular charm in stating the obvious.
Love Prevails in 'Surrendered'
Fundamentally a contemporary war novel, "The Surrendered" derives its plot from a scrutiny of the most basic of human experiences—love and conflict.
Moya Struggles to Charm in 'Snakes'
Superficially a fantastical page-turner, the novel is at its core an uncompromising interrogation of authority, a gruesome satire whose pivot turns on exposing the consequences that result from a manipulated identity.
A.R.T.'s 'Gatz' Takes Classic Tale to Stage in Novel Adaptation
Borrowing established stories and adapting them for the stage is hardly unusual in today’s theater culture, where original writing is hard to find.
Editor's Picks 2009
Arts execs take a break from ranking Radiohead vs. Spoon to rank... whatever they feel like.
Turning Over an Old Page
Looking to the past, a recent publication by HU Press tells new story of America's literary history to no one in particular