“50 American Plays” by Matthew and Michael Dickman
I’ve visited exactly half of the states that make up our federal constitutional republic. I’m counting states that I’ve lived in, vacationed in, or merely driven through. Some of the…
Features & Reviews
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The Rumpus Interview with Jeanne Thornton
I met Jeanne Thornton a long time ago in the world of zines and she’s long been one of my faves, so I was excited to learn that she has…
The Care and Feeding of Exotic Pets by Diana Wagman
The recent glut of apocalyptic novels has encouraged readers’ desires to become armchair spectators to doom. Our front-row seats at the end-of-days enable us to cheer for the scrappy protagonist…
“Mortality,” by Christopher Hitchens
An amorphous aura resonates around authors we discover on our own. Before we hear of their fame and talent, before everyone recommends their book as a “must read” we find…
Week in Greed #18: They Were Careless People
I remember that it was late at night and I was returning to my dorm, having just watched Ronald Reagan win re-election with an unprecedented 60 percent of the popular…
The Rumpus Interview with Jake Adelstein
Jake Adelstein possesses an obsessive, infectious energy, coupled with an immense generosity and an ability to be, when necessary, stringently ruthless. This combination serves him well in the line of…
“What Is Amazing” by Heather Christle
What Is Amazing by Heather Christle is another illustration of my frustration with the word “critic,” why I think “appreciator” is a closer approximation and why I’m still open to…
Why I Chose Cleopatra Mathis’s “Book of Dog” for the Rumpus Poetry Book Club
Camille T. Dungy on why she selected Book of Dog by Cleopatra Mathis for the Rumpus Poetry Book Club in November.
Dust Bowl vs. Objectivism
At The Nervous Breakdown, Rumpus columnist Steve Almond narrates the debate between Atlas Shrugged and The Grapes of Wrath to help us decide who should lead our country, Steinbeck or…
“The 6.5 Habits of Moderately Successful Poets,” by Jeffrey Skinner
You might be forgiven if, like a kid looking through the newspaper for comic strips, you return to this book only to enjoy the humorous lists, tables, and other extras…
Three Short Essays from The Hard Problem: A Guide for the Intergalactic Writer Looking to Mate
But books aren’t always babies and, perhaps, are not even babies most or any of the time. What are books?
The Rumpus Interview with Kate Durbin
Kate Durbin's poetry and performance art focus on female archetypes like princesses, witches, and pop stars. She dives into the cesspools of modern culture without shame, resurfacing to present us with glittering treasures from the depths.