Featured Reviews

The Monkey's Paw (1902) - W. W. Jacobs  (Grade:B+)

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Train (2012) - Alice Munro  (Grade:A)

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Black Betty (1994) - Walter Mosley  (Grade:A-)

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Call for the Dead (1961) - John Le Carré  (Grade:B+)

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The Footbridge (2021) - Daniel Rattelle  (Grade:A+)

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America’s Philosopher: John Locke in American Intellectual Life (2022) - Claire Rydell Arcenas  (Grade:A)

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MOVIE REVIEWS:

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Metropolitian (1990) - Whit Stillman  (Grade:A+)

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Brothers Judd Daily

Brothers Judd QuasiDaily Bookmarks:
06/17/24:

John Wesley (1703-91), founder of the Methodist Church, was born in Epworth, England on June 17, 1703. He and his band of friends were derided at Oxford for their "methodism", methodical study of the Bible. After a conversion experience in 1738, he preached a message of salvation through faith in Christ alone.

John Hersey (1914-93) was born in China on June 17, 1914. Read Orrin's reviews of A Bell for Adano (1944)(Grade: B+) and Hiroshima (1946) (Grade: B)

James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938), who wrote the Black National Anthem--Lift Every Voice and Sing, was born in Jacksonville, FL on June 17, 1871. Read Orrin's review of The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man (1912) (Grade: B+)

At 2:30am on the morning of June 17, 1972, five men were caught breaking in to Democratic National Committee Headquarters in the Watergate Building. Read Orrin's reviews of Silent Coup: The Removal of a President (1991)(Len Colodny, Robert Gettlin) (Grade: C+) and Leon Jaworski's The Right and the Power (Grade: C), but also try G. Gordon Liddy's Will and All the President's Men

June 16th is Bloomsday. Joyce fans all over the world commemorate the mindnumbing meanderings of Leopold Bloom through the streets of Dublin in 1904 (read Orrin's review of Ulysses, Grade: F x Googleplex) But save yourself the trouble & read Ulysses for Dummies.

Katharine Graham (1917-2001) was born in New York, NY on June 16, 1917. Read Orrin's review of Personal History (1997) (Katharine Graham 1917-2001)

The Magna Carta was signed on June 15, 1215 by King John of England the agreement between John and several dozen English Barons that took away the King's total authority, and granted basic rights and liberties such as freedom of the church, no imprisonment without a jury trial, and the proper execution of the laws of the land.

Jerzy Kosinski (1933-91) was born in Lodz, POL on June 14, 1933. Read Orrin's review of The Painted Bird (1965)

William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) was born in Dublin, IR on June 13, 1865. His poem The Second Coming seemingly predicted the course of the pre-Reagan 20th Century.

President George Herbert Walker Bush (1924-) was born on June 12, 1924 in Milton, MA. In one of the Republics low points, he lost his reelection bid in 1992, but current polls give his presidency a 70+% approval rating. The Brothers Judd recommend What It Takes, Richard Ben Cramer's extraordinary account of the 1988 presidential contenders.

Yasunari Kawabata (1899-1972) was born in Osaka, JPN on June 11, 1899. Read Orrin's review of Thousand Cranes (1949)(Grade: D)

James Salter (1925-) was born in New York, NY on June 10, 1925. Read Orrin's review of The Hunters (1956) (Grade: A)

Saul Bellow (1915-) was born in Chicago, IL on June 10, 1915. Read Orrin's reviews of Henderson the Rain King (1959) and The Adventures of Augie March (1953) Saul Bellow (1915-)

Peter the Great (1682-1725) was born on June 9, 1682. Read Robert Massie's excellent Pulitzer Prize winning biography.

Cole Porter (1891-1964) was born in Peru, IN on June 9, 1891.

Frank Lloyd Wright(1867-1959) was born in Richland, WI on June 8, 1867. Read Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead for a fictional account of a Wrightlike genius.

Mohammed (circa 570 to 632), the Prophet of Islam, was born on June 8, 570.

Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) was born in Paris, FR on June 7, 1848. Read Orrin's review of The Moon and Sixpence (1919)(William Somerset Maugham 1874-1965) (Grade: C+)

Prince was born on June 7, 1958. His Hits package confirms his position as one of the only really significant pop music talents of the past two decades.

Happy Birthday to Zachary Barnett (June 7)