Jennifer Howard

I wasn’t going to write any more about Hanna Rosin’s new book, The End of Men. I already had my say. But the book and the response to it has got me thinking about what counts as a Big Book. Consider this a postscript to my WaPo review. If you follow bookish or pop-culture chatter at all, the book’s has been hard to escape. It’s everywhere, and by “everywhere” I mean all over the pages (virtual or otherwise) of the country’s high-profile cultural outlets. It’s been challenged on the front of The New York Times Book Review, while David Brooks… Read more...

When word got out in early May that Louisiana State University might slash its press’s subsidy as a result of the state’s budget contraction, Michael V. Martin, chancellor of the Baton Rouge campus, issued a brief written statement. For those who admire the press, it was not very reassuring: “We hope the governor and our legislature will provide sufficient funding to maintain support of LSU Press, as it is a very valuable asset to this university, the people of the state, and many beyond,” Mr. Martin said. “We face, however, extraordinary economic conditions, and we must protect the academic core… Read more...

Got word today that Louisiana’s state budget woes could force LSU Press to close. Supporters are rallying people to the cause, asking them to tell the LSU administration and the state legislature how important the press is to the intellectual life of the university and the state. I took some heat from a commenter on the Chronicle’s news blog about my choice of the phrase “might get the ax” to describe the danger LSU Press faces. I’d say that if a you cut a press’s subsidy with the knowledge that doing so is likely to force it to close, you… Read more...

Insightful, entertaining, and thought-provoking, Middle Age is fascinating reading and for anyone heading for a ‘mid-life crisis,’ it is much cheaper than buying a sports car…. Read more...

VQR has put its 1973-2005 archives online, including a short story of mine called “Act of Humanity.” If I were writing it now, I’d go with a different title, but I am still glad to see it available in something handier than the dreaded PDF format. Thanks, VQR…. Read more...

Maybe not the best headline ever, but the funniest one I’ve seen today. Not that there’s a lot of competition out there. (“Major U.S. Companies to Slash 45,000 Jobs” just doesn’t cut it in the funny department.)… Read more...