Text New Releases: June 20^th

Woody Allen - Mere Anarchy Woody Allen's latest publication foregoes all latent and blatant criticism of the film industry, references to circumcision, the holocaust and chicken, and all suggestions of perceived self-inadequacy. It should also be noted that Woody has recently dispensed with his sniveling, stuttering, I-couldn't-be-less-comfortable-in-my-own-skin demeanor, decided to pursue women he might actually land and sprouted an additional eight inches. In other words, Mere Anarchy is vintage Allen, and relies on his trademark abuse of synonyms, neurotic obsessions about sexuality, self-deprecation and a variety of other Woodyisms that combine to make the book what critic Janet Muslin calls, "nostalgically enjoyable." Whether you love Woody, or just love to hate him, Mere Anarchy maintains the status quo humor but offers no real surprises. But before we criticize the man for depending on his old tricks let us ask ourselves, would we want Andrew Lloyd Weber to exchange absurdist melodrama for cold rationality? Freudian interpretations are excruciatingly annoying, yes, but would society be better off if the oft-misquoted psychoanalyst had kicked the cocaine habit and channeled his energies into astrology? Would anyone dare tell Cole Porter to compose a ditty with a little more machismo? Without answering these questions I think it is probably safe to say that we should be pleased that Woody sticks to his shtick, doing well at whatever it is that he does.

Noam Chomsky - Interventions Interventions is collection of 44 op-ed pieces written from September 2002—March 2007 that delve into the bizarre mental paths of the Bush administration and resulting American foreign and domestic policy. Chomsky also takes a stab at American media, which he believes remains reluctant to injure the toes of any political elites. The tone of Chomsky's pieces perpetuate the idea that some underhanded, well thought out scheme, an "imperial grand strategy" to run the world, is the driving force behind the current chaos in Iraq and growing problems in the Middle East. This argument instinctively appeals to the American leftist, but harshly opposes another viable theory—that America has sunk into this quicksand-esque quandary simply because of bull-headed stupidity. Chomsky's renown and longevity as a political writer lend credibility to his theories. I for one would prefer to believe that the incredible waste of life, limb and integrity could only have been caused by evil plotting, imperial jingoism and a cheerful disregard for humanity. However, one must wonder, could the Bush administration actually have intended to make the US what Chomsky calls "an international pariah," or, have blind fear and pure idiocy ruled the decision making process from day one?

Annie Dillard - The Maytrees An author of fiction, poetry and non-fiction, American writer Anne Dillard has won acclaim for her delicate but vivid attention to detail and her poetic, lyrical style. The Maytrees is a compelling work dealing with the simplistic themes of partnership, love, loss and forgiveness. The novel is set in and around Provincetown, the art community of Cape Cod. The narrative traces the 40-year relationship that started shortly after WWII, between aspiring poet and handyman Toby Maytree and painter Lou Bigelow, a woman he fist mistakes for Ingrid Bergman. Dillard's treatment of her subjects and her lyrical dexterity gives the work a powerfully resonant quality which would not be possibly were the material in lesser hands.

Austin Grossman - Soon I Will Be Invincible Soon I Will Be Invincible, the debut from game design consultant Austin Grossman, is a storyline taken from the pages of a comic book and recreated with a realist, deadpan literary flair. In a work that would appeal to the backward gazing Gen X'ers, who in their 30s (40s?, 50s?) still find themselves recalling cereal brands from their youth and their favorite Saturday morning cartoon, Grossman has incorporated all the super hero/villain clichés into an intricate but winking narrative featuring Good vs. Evil in the personas of Fatale, a lonely cyborg and the newest addition to the venerable group of heroes known as the Champions, and Doctor Impossible, an evil genius with an evil plan to knock the earth out of its orbit.