• Slate plays the excellent parlor game of asking authors like Amy Bloom, Laura Lippman and John Crowley to name “The Great Books We Haven’t Read.” Mark me down as having never gotten past page 2 of Swann’s Way, which I remember (perhaps erroneously) as having something to do with lying awake in bed and which always puts me to sleep in mine. I’ve tried three times now — I’m like the climber who shows up at Everest every spring amid great pomp and with lots of gear and never gets past base camp.
• Speaking of great books not yet read, I’ve also been enjoying Critical Mass’s Critical Library series, which has convinced me to finally get a copy of Erich Auerbach’s Mimesis.
Terry Teachout on the arts in New York City
