book review


the (border) crossing at its best: review

The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is the best border tale I’ve read, a masterpiece masterfully told, the language and dialogue as taut and radiant as the afternoon desert sun. (Some spoilers below.) Our two teen heroes, living in the frontier of New Mexico’s […]


northern bird brain: review of mcbride’s good lord bird

The Good Lord Bird by James McBride My rating: 1 of 5 stars The Good Lord Bird is an example of an overhyped (National Book Award winner), deeply flawed contemporary title, which the PC-mavens must adore for it potential virtue-signaling, as I can’t think of another reason. This wreckage of […]


border classic: review of alan weisman’s la frontera

La Frontera: The United States Border with Mexico by Alan Weisman My rating: 2 of 5 stars This sprawling journey along the Mexican border is a classic in borderlands literature: it sings the songs of unsung lives while also crossing into identification with our southern neighbors. Identification can help understanding, […]