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Open Letters Review

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Open Letters Review

Open Letters Review

An Arts & Literature Review

Open Letters Review

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September 01, 2025

A Day Like Any Other by Nathan Kernan

September 01, 2025/ Steve Donoghue
A Day Like Any Other by Nathan Kernan

A masterful new biography of the American poet James Schuyler

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September 01, 2025/ Steve Donoghue/
A Day Like Any Other, James Schuyler, Nathan Kernan, poetry, American poetry, the New York School, biography, author biography
August 22, 2025

Constantine Cavafy: A New Life by Gregory Jusdanis & Peter Jeffreys

August 22, 2025/ Steve Donoghue
Constantine Cavafy: A New Life by Gregory Jusdanis & Peter Jeffreys

A generous new life of the great Greek poet Cavafy

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August 22, 2025/ Steve Donoghue/
Constantine Cavafy, Gregory Jusdanis, Peter Jeffreys, biography, poet biography
August 21, 2025

Thomas More by Joanne Paul

August 21, 2025/ Steve Donoghue
Thomas More by Joanne Paul

Joanne Paul’s wonderful new biography of Thomas More

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August 21, 2025/ Steve Donoghue/
Thomas More, Joanne Pual, biography, English biography
July 23, 2025

The Worlds of Dorothy Sayers by Stephen Wade

July 23, 2025/ Steve Donoghue
The Worlds of Dorothy Sayers by Stephen Wade

A new biography of the great mystery novelist

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July 23, 2025/ Steve Donoghue/
Stephen Wade, The Worlds of Dorothy Sayers, Dorothy Sayers, author biography, biography, Lord Peter Wimsey
July 01, 2025

Gustav Mahler by Stephen Downes

July 01, 2025/ Nikolas Mavreas
Gustav Mahler by Stephen Downes

A brief new life of the famous composer

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July 01, 2025/ Nikolas Mavreas/
Gusav Mahler, Mahler, Stephen Downes, classical music, biography, music biography, composer biography
June 26, 2025

Benvenuto Cellini and the Embodiment of the Modern Artist by Andreas Beyer

June 26, 2025/ Steve Donoghue
Benvenuto Cellini and the Embodiment of the Modern Artist by Andreas Beyer

A biography of the great sculptor that concentrates on his troublesome physicality

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June 26, 2025/ Steve Donoghue/
Benvenuto Cellini and the Embodiment of the Modern Artist, Andreas Beyer, Benvenuto Cellini, Renaissance history, Renaissance art, biography
June 24, 2025

Cooler Than Cool by CM Kushins

June 24, 2025/ Steve Donoghue
Cooler Than Cool by CM Kushins

A quippy, addictive new biography of the great crime writer

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June 24, 2025/ Steve Donoghue/
Cooler Than Cool, Elmore Leonard, CM Kushins, biography, literary biography
June 05, 2025

John Hancock by Willard Sterne Randall

June 05, 2025/ Casper Hileman
John Hancock by Willard Sterne Randall

A concise new biography of the famous Founding Father

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June 05, 2025/ Casper Hileman/
Willard Sterne Randall, John Hancock, American Revolution, biography, American biography, Founding Fathers
May 21, 2025

Ellmann's Joyce by Zachary Leader

May 21, 2025/ Steve Donoghue
Ellmann's Joyce by Zachary Leader

The story behind one of the great biographies of the 20th century

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May 21, 2025/ Steve Donoghue/
Ellmann's Joyce, Zachary Leader, James Joyce, Ricahrd Ellmann, Richard Ellmann, biography, literary biography, literary history
May 17, 2025

Boccaccio by Marco Santagata

May 17, 2025/ Steve Donoghue
Boccaccio by Marco Santagata

An authoritative biography of the author of The Decameron

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May 17, 2025/ Steve Donoghue/
Boccaccio, Marco Santagata, Emlyn Eisenach, biography, literary biography
May 16, 2025

Mark Twain by Ron Chernow

May 16, 2025/ Steve Donoghue
Mark Twain by Ron Chernow

The celebrated biographer publishes an enormous book about Mark Twain

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May 16, 2025/ Steve Donoghue/
Mark Twain, Ron Chernow, biography, American biography, literary biography
May 15, 2025

Horace: Poet on a Volcano by Peter Stothard

May 15, 2025/ Steve Donoghue
Horace: Poet on a Volcano by Peter Stothard

An invigorating new biography of the great Roman poet Horace

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May 15, 2025/ Steve Donoghue/
Horacde, Horace, ancient Rome, Horace: Poet on a Volcano, Peter Stothard, biography, ancient biography
March 16, 2025

Love, Queenie by Mayukh Sen

March 16, 2025/ Steve Donoghue
Love, Queenie by Mayukh Sen

A new biography of Golden Age Hollywood star Merle Oberon

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March 16, 2025/ Steve Donoghue/
Mayukh Sen, Love, Love Queenie, Merle Oberon, Hollywood, Hollywood history, biography
January 27, 2025

Doc Watson: A Life in Music by Eddie Huffman

January 27, 2025/ James Ruchala
Doc Watson: A Life in Music by Eddie Huffman

A new biography of an Appalachian virtuoso.

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January 27, 2025/ James Ruchala/
Eddie Huffman, Doc Watson, biography, American music, music biography
January 23, 2025

Bright Circle by Randall Fuller

January 23, 2025/ Hannah Joyner
Bright Circle by Randall Fuller

How women experienced—and shaped—Transcendentalist thought in 19th-century New England.

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January 23, 2025/ Hannah Joyner/
Bright Circle, Randall Fuller, Trancendatlism, Mary Moody Emerson, Emerson, Thoreau, biography, literary biography
January 14, 2025

Henry V by Dan Jones

January 14, 2025/ Aaron Kyereh-Mireku
Henry V by Dan Jones

A vibrant new biography of England’s famous King Henry V

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January 14, 2025/ Aaron Kyereh-Mireku/
Henry V, biography, royal biography, Dan Jones, medieval history
January 13, 2025

A Man on Fire by Douglas Egerton

January 13, 2025/ Steve Donoghue
A Man on Fire by Douglas Egerton

A comprehensive new biography of the famed author and activist

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January 13, 2025/ Steve Donoghue/
Douglas Egerton, A Man on Fire, Thomas Wentworth Higginson, biography, American biography
January 09, 2025

Leonardo Da Vinci: An Untraceable Life by Stephen J. Campbell

January 09, 2025/ Steve Donoghue
Leonardo Da Vinci: An Untraceable Life by Stephen J. Campbell

A pointedly unconventional life of the great Renaissance artist

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January 09, 2025/ Steve Donoghue/
Leonardo Da Vinci, Leonardo Da Vinci: An Untraceable Life, Stephen J. Campbell, biography, Italian Renaissance
December 03, 2024

Robert Hooke's Experimental Philosophy by Felicity Henderson

December 03, 2024/ Nikolas Mavreas
Robert Hooke's Experimental Philosophy by Felicity Henderson

An insightful biography of the pioneering scientist

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December 03, 2024/ Nikolas Mavreas/
Robert Hooke's Experimental Philosophy, Felcity Henderson, Robert Hooke, biography
November 02, 2024

The Scapegoat by Lucy Hughes-Hallett

November 02, 2024/ Steve Donoghue
The Scapegoat by Lucy Hughes-Hallett

A new biography of the handsome favorite of two kings

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November 02, 2024/ Steve Donoghue/
The Scapegoat, George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, King James I, King Charles I, history, Jacobean history, English history, biography
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Editors:

Steve Donoghue
Sam Sacks
Britta Böhler
____________________

Eric Karl Anderson
Olive Fellows
Jack Hanson
Jennifer Helinek
Justin Hickey
Hannah Joyner
Zach Rabiroff
Jessica Tvordi

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