1. Daniel de Visé’s review of Led Zeppelin: The Biography by Bob Spitz (Penguin Press). “Within this exhaustively researched account, Spitz unearths a trove of caustic reviews and bitter reflections to remind us how very often the world’s greatest live-rock band played dreadful gigs, and how thoroughly Led Zeppelin was reviled — by critics, adult music fans, and even fellow pop stars — for the better part of its life.”


2. “Our 51 Favorite Books of 2022.” “We’re loath to proclaim any books ‘the best’ of the year, but these really stuck with us. We hope you enjoy them, too!”


3. Ananya Bhattacharyya’s review of The Dog of Tithwal by Saadat Hasan Manto; translated by Khalid Hasan and Aatish Taseer (Archipelago). “The author, an alcoholic, died in 1955 at age 42. But despite passing away so young, he produced 22 story collections. This shocking feat must have been the result of fast writing, and you can feel his restlessness on the page. Some of these stories end abruptly or seem rushed, and the prose can be utilitarian (though that could be because the original lyricism was lost in translation). And the stories can’t be accused of possessing excessive psychological insight, either. But despite these flaws, the tales in this volume are addictive, excellent portraits of a place and a time.”


4. “What Is ‘I Have No Idea,’ Ken?” by Holly Smith. “Was I the brightest contestant ever to grace the ‘Jeopardy!’ set? No. Few of my college grade cards were fridge-worthy, I know nothing about geography (wait, there’s a South America?), and my understanding of chemistry and physics extends no further than being able to spell those words. But after a lifetime of reading — weighty books, canonical books, important books, and even some good books — I felt prepared to do well on the show. I expected to do well. I wanted to do well. We all want things.”


5. “Announcing the 2023 Washington Writers Conference.” “Have you finally finished that manuscript — or book proposal — but aren’t sure what to do with it? Attend the 2023 Washington Writers Conference (May 12-13) in Rockville, MD, and pitch your project face-to-face to literary agents!”

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