Julia Keller

Henry James once opined that the two most beautiful words in the English language are "summer afternoon." I would like to edit James — alas, who wouldn't? — and bestow the most felicitous phrase award upon the words "summer reading." They...

Popcorn. Check. Diet Coke. Check. Twizzlers. Check. A copy of "F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Short Autobiography" (Scribner), edited by James L. West III. Check. If you're on your way to see — or see again — "Midnight in Paris," the latest film...

An international business tycoon is in seriously hot water. He's accused of unspeakable crimes. He's about to lose everything — his business, his family, his reputation, even his freedom. So far, it sounds like the Rupert Murdoch affair on...

In every life, a little fall must reign. One slip, one missed opportunity, one hesitation or wrong turn can haunt you forever, casting an intractable shadow over the rest of your days. The words "if only" are never far from anyone's thoughts. But what...

In celebration of July Fourth, Printers Row set out to create a reading list of patriotic books. But, how to define "patriotic"? We decided to have each contributing Tribune writer and editor pick a title that corresponds to his or her own definition....

It can't have been easy. Art supplies were not exactly thick on the ground in those days — we're talking 32,000 years ago, give or take — and there were lots of other things to worry about, such as finding food, water and shelter. Not...

Just how bad is this particular bad guy? You don't want to know. Or perhaps you do, which is surely the case if you appreciate the thrillers of Karin Slaughter, an absolute master at describing violence, mayhem and the darkness that stalls and sours...

Sunday Memoir writing: How do you turn a life story into something more than a slog through boring facts? Perhaps Carol LaChapelle has an answer. 11 a.m., University Center/Multimedia Room — Judy Hevrdejs, reporter Tavern recipes: Susan and Drew...

Three's (good) company Last week we congratulated Chicago-area residents Christine Sneed and Rebecca Skloot because their books (in the new fiction and science categories, respectively) were finalists for the 2010 Los Angeles Times Book Prizes. Winners...

Leon Carroll, Jr., born and raised on Chicago's South Side, knows that the secret of "NCIS" is a simple one: Words. The top-rated CBS drama about the real-life Naval Criminal Investigative Service is one of the best-written shows on television, employing...

The universally acclaimed Joyce Carol Oates returns to Chicago on the heels of "A Widow's Story" (Harper Collins, publication date: Feb. 15). The author's poignant, intimate memoir about the unexpected death of Raymond Smith, her husband of forty-six...

Two Chicago authors are finalists for the 2010 Los Angeles Times Book Prizes, which will be awarded at a ceremony April 29. Christine Sneed, author of the short story collection " Portraits of a Few of the People I've Made Cry" (University of...