Baum on Books

A lone pregnant woman navigates her way through a dreary, dystopian world where most women are sterile. She’s on the run from the government, rebels, and despair. This is the plot of Zulus, a sci-fi fantasy novel written by award-winning author Percival Everett over 30 years ago.

A composer, a comic, an activist, and a writer. This is not the setup for a joke. These people are at the heart of author David Denby’s new collection of essays - Eminent Jews: Bernstein, Brooks, Friedan, Mailer. WSHU’s Book critic Joan Baum has this review.

He was a preeminent poet, satirist, and critic from Ancient Rome. His works were once required reading in many schools. But not all of his writings were fit for the classroom. Now, a new biography, Horace: Poet on a Volcano, examines how his work reflected the times he lived in. It also highlights just how bawdy this classic poet could be. WSHU’s Culture Critic Joan Baum read it. You can listen to her review right here.

The book American Prometheus clocks in at 721 pages. The film version, Oppenheimer, runs for 3 hours. Both tell the fascinating history of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer and the development of the atomic bomb. Both are also long, layered, and complex. Now, a new book, Oppenheimer and the Atomic Bomb, streamlines the story for young readers. WSHU’s Culture Critic Joan Baum read it. Here's her review.

50 years ago this month, the film JAWS debuted in theaters. And for generations, moviegoers have been thrilled to be terrified by the fabled great white shark. But in the novel, the toothy fish is not the star of the story. Book critic Joan Baum re-read JAWS and has this review.

Consider the humble insect. These tiny, multi-legged creatures of infinite variety are all around us. They’re also more vital to life on Earth than we humans realize. Author Peter Kuper explores the world of insects and the scientists who study them in his new illustrated book, Insectopolis. Book critic Joan Baum has this review.

A groom goes missing. A bride goes into hiding. Years later, the past seeps into the present and upends the lives of three women. That’s just the beginning of the new novel, After The Ocean, by WSHU’s classical music host Lauren Rico.

Writing a memoir is not easy. Dredging up traumatic moments from your past can be painful. For some, it’s downright destructive. In her new book, Permission, Connecticut-based writer Elissa Altman shares her insights into the art of writing memoirs and how revealing a hushed-up family incident tore her family apart. WSHU’s Culture Critic Joan Baum read it. You can listen to her review right here.

Spelling words in English can be confusing. Many have been baffled by it. And many have tried to simplify the process. In his new book, author Gabe Henry shares a brief 500 year history of those attempts to make spelling easier. Book critic Joan Baum has this review.

Edward Gorey was famous for his signature black and white illustrations that are often steeped in humor with a sinister twist. Gorey also drew his whimsical images on envelopes for letters he sent to a close friend. And that friend has just published a collection of their correspondence in a new book. WSHU’s Book Critic Joan Baum read it and has this review.