Bookworm

This lovely new collection features con men, killers, cult leaders, baby stealers and the occasional prophet. E.L. Doctorow reveals his affection for these disparate, desperate Americans and offers a reason for the centrality of women in these stories.

River of Shadows (Penguin); Hope in the Dark (Nation)

In her poetic biography, Rebecca Solnit uses the figure of photographer Edward Muybridge to discuss a whole range of metaphysical issues...

Yellow Dog (Miramax)

While examining the mysteries of Martin Amis' enigma-turned-thriller, we speculate about the future of the literary novel...

Getting Mother's Body (Random House)

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks talks about her first novel, rejecting an art of concealment for one that celebrates rollicking immediacy and oddball truth...

(Coach House)

Now Is the Time to Open Your Heart (Random House)

The hero of The Confessions of Max Tivoli  is born an old man who ages backwards -- not an unusual fantasy premise.

Melissa Pritchard's Late Bloomer is funny. She's taken her ongoing interest in creativity and transformation, and placed it in counterpoint to a lively parody of New Age spirituality. New questions arise...