Maureen Corrigan

Commentator Maureen Corrigan gives her argument for why poetry is still a viable art form by telling us about two new collections by two poets: "An Atlas of a Difficult World--Poems 1988-1991," by Adrienne Rich (published by Norton). And "Seeing Things," by Seamus Heaney (published by FSG).

Critic-at-Large Maureen Corrigan reviews Greil Marcus' new book, "Dead Elvis: A Chronicle of a Cultural Obsession." (Doubleday)

Critic Maureen Corrigan reviews "BAD, or the Dumbing of America," by Paul Fussell. In his book, Fussell decries the decline of quality and taste in everything from movies to education. (It's published by Summit Books).

Maureen Corrigan reviews "Low Life," by Luc Sante (pronounced "luke sahn-tay"). The book explores the every-day existence of New Yorkers a century ago.

Critic Maureen Corrigan reviews "Sexual Personae," Camille Paglia's (pag-lee-ah) controversial analysis of the sexes.

Critic Maureen Corrigan reviews "Memoirs" by English writer Kingsley Amis (published by Summit Books).

Commentator Maureen Corrigan reviews two books about sisters: "A Very Close Conspiracy," by Jane Dunn, and "The Dark Sister," by Rebecca Goldstein.

Critic Maureen Corrigan reviews "The Book Wars" by James Atlas. It's the latest book in the growing debate over whether or not students should be required to read a set curriculum of "great books." Maureen says the more interesting thing about the book is that it's filled with ads for Federal Express.

Critic Maureen Corrigan reviews "American Nervousness." It's a new book by Tom Lutz about a turn of the century disease called neurasthenia. Neurasthenia was a term applied to a wide variety of conditions related to just being "stressed out" by 19th century life. Perversely, neurasthenia was taken as a sign of status, that if you suffered from it, it meant you were fashionably sensitive. (It's published by Cornell University Press).

Maureen Corrigan reviews the new movie, "V.I. Warshawski." It stars Kathleen Turner as a great looking babe who's also a tough nails private eye.