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A Marxist guide to crime drama

Sofie Mason Counterfire
At its best, crime drama does not simply try to terrify us with pure unblinking evil but gives us studies of dysfunctional human beings mangled by capitalism, argues Sofie Mason

Talk in the Town Barbershop

Joseph Zaccardi Poetry of Joseph Zaccardi
Poet Joseph Zaccardi, Laureate of Marin County, explores the local chit-chat, reminding us it’s also about what folks don’t want to say or hear.

Keywords That Reinforce Class Control

Oliver Eagleton Counterfire
Carrying on from Raymond Williams' Keywords, the classic study of capital's appropriation of words for its own ends, the book under review looks at contemporary linguistic usage that serves and reinforces dominant class interests.

Agnès Varda Is Dead at 90; Influential French New Wave Filmmaker

John Anderson The New York Times
French director Agnès Varda, who died Friday at her home in Paris, was the only woman associated with the new wave during that film movement’s peak. She made films for more than 60 years, and in the latter part of her career focused on documentaries.

Veep’s Final Season Ponders a Horrifying Thought

Spencer Kornhaber The Atlantic
Veep has, always, been chock-full of other apparent sociopaths—which is what makes the show’s resemblance to America’s actual political reality so troubling.

Abe & Jack, Milt, Moe, Dave…

Peter Neil Carroll Chiron Review
Peter Neil Carroll's poetry pays homage to the veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade who left a legacy of fighting fascism.

Net Rupture

Scott McLemee Inside Higher Ed
Charting worldwide disaffection with liberal democracy, the book is a deep dive into Trumpism, Macronism, Brexit and question marks over the European Union, as well as mass movements weary of voting corrupt politicos in and out of office.