Enchanting Criticism: Dana Gioia as Literary Critic 

Enchanting Criticism: Dana Gioia as Literary Critic 

by | Feb 1, 2026

Poetry as Enchantment: And Other Essays By Dana Gioia. Paul Dry Books, 2024. Paperback, 272 pages, $21.95. Reviewed by Oliver Spivey. In his essay titled “Reading,” W. H. Auden sets forth what he views as the special duties of the literary critic: What is the function...
The Place of Punctuation in Literary Art

The Place of Punctuation in Literary Art

by | Aug 15, 2021

Mark My Words: Profiles of Punctuation in Modern Literature by Lee Clark Mitchell. Bloomsbury Academic, 2020. Softcover, 166 pages, $15. Reviewed by Oliver Spivey Many literature professors have long expressed their embarrassment at simply professing literature. Not...
The Function of Criticism in a Time of Entropy

The Function of Criticism in a Time of Entropy

by | Jul 21, 2019

American Audacity: In Defense of Literary Daring By William Giraldi. Liveright, 2018. Hardcover, 462 pages, $30. Reviewed by Oliver Spivey William Giraldi, author of the critical prose collected in American Audacity: In Defense of Literary Daring, is that rarest of...