It is impossible to imagine a man like Malcolm Cowley existing today. He was much more than just a literary critic and editor in the middle part of the 20th century; he was a taste-maker with an unerring instinct for which writers needed to have their reputations restored (William Faulkner was his most famous beneficiary, since many of his books had been out of print before Cowley masterminded the publication of The Portable Faulkner in 1946) and which should be discovered and nurtured (Jack Kerouac, John Cheever, and Ken Kesey lead that list). Gerald Howard, an esteemed book editor himself for many years, doesn’t just deftly capture the man (he died in 1989 at age 90) but vividly brings to life the times in which he thrived. Cowley, more than any other single person, shaped the American literary canon of the past century, and The Insider is both eloquent and compelling in making that case.
We dare anybody to see the subtitle of this book, “Vampire Epidemics from Mesopotamia to the New World,” and not immediately start reading. Why is it that so many people and cultures have imbued corpses with malevolent powers, forcing them to unbury the dead and mutilate them? John Blair is as much an archaeologist as he is a historian, and his most persuasive evidence comes from observing remains unearthed around the world. Why was there such a fear that the dead might rise again or that from their graves they were exerting evil influence and thus must be dug up and defiled? Theories abound, but what is most arresting is Blair’s argument that corpse-killing was a therapeutic outlet for fear and paranoia that might otherwise be directed at the living. A fascinating read.
translated by Robin Waterfield
Why read the latest translation of an ancient account chronicling the war between Athens and Sparta that took place nearly 3,000 years ago? Three reasons. First, the writer is a premier chronicler of war and its combatants. Second, Robin Waterfield has provided a translation that does full justice to the narrative without a single awkward sentence or archaic phrase. Third, the observations about motive and power and strategy by Thucydides are still worth reflecting upon today. The writer called his book a “possession for all time,” and its enduring popularity across so many centuries is all the recommendation one needs. Polly Law wrote the excellent introduction.
Jim Kelly is the Books Editor at AIR MAIl. He can be reached at jkelly@airmail.news
