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Mark Athitakis Special to USA TODAY When Philip Roth began his literary career in the 1950s, he started at the University of Chicago, where he said his ambitions were simple: “bibliography by day, women by night.” That’s something of a blunt organizing principle for Blake Bailey’s hotly anticipated biography, "Philip Roth" (Norton, 912 pp., ★★★ out of four). It’s a well-researched and engrossing book, but at times a frustratingly narrow one, despite its heft. The arc of Roth’s life is American literary folklore now. Born in Newark, New Jersey, he scandalized the Jewish-Ame...

Performance occurs in a myriad of ways, from spoken and written poetry to taking the stage, to playing a game of spades. In fictional universes, particularly in fantastical worlds, a character’s performance can range from their abilities to their descriptions. This week, the intricate tapestry of Black performance is explored through many different lenses in the books. This week, poetry once again takes the national stage with Amanda Gorman’s The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country. Her reading of this poem at President Joe Biden’s inauguration shook the nation as she not ...

Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, has seen his fair share of ugly things. His alcohol and drug addiction sent him spiraling for years and led him to cook his own crack cocaine. But he's seen a lot of beautiful things, too – namely the love he shares with his father and brother Beau Biden, who died of glioblastoma in 2015.  Biden wrote about all of it in in his new memoir, "Beautiful Things" (Gallery Books, 255 pp.), out April 6. His candid chronicle of his drug- and alcohol-fueled binges and relationship with Beau's widow, Hallie Biden, are sure to shock – but don't let all the ...

comments The idea of being Black and poor in America often makes people think about the gun violence, drug trade and pain that wraps the existence of that reality. And because those factors are prevalent means that too often we overlook the joys that make up the heart of the community. These joys exist by way of family gatherings, community affairs like block parties, and other forms of fellowshipping, with one thing tying all of these types of events together –– dancing. You better know how to dance.  My dad, one of the best dancers I know, once faked me out­­ ––­­  by tellin...

Listen up, LGBTQ youth – and really all LGBTQ people – "The Sky Blues" by Robbie Couch is about to hit shelves and will give you the warm and fuzzies.