The Canonization of Lou Reed by Jeremy Lybarger

Writing for The New Republic, Jeremy Lybarger reviews the new biography Lou Reed: The King of New York and uses the occasion to write more broadly about the life, career, and enduring influence of the caustic, challenging creator who first rose to prominence with the Velvet Underground. Reed’s multitude of contradictions and complex art — which was often brilliant but also scattershot enough to test the patience of even the most devoted fans — invite kaleidoscopic spins of analysis. Lybarger gives in to the dizziness while also remaining focused an cogent, which is a neat trick.

Interview: Matt Singer on ‘Opposable Thumbs,’ his new book about Siskel and Ebert by Scott Tobias

Undoubtedly in part because he’s being interviewed by a friend and fellow co-founder of the late, lamented film website The Dissolve, Matt Singer in this article is especially forthright and thoughtful in about how the subjects of his latest book exerted a mighty influence on him as a movie fan and media journalist. As someone who also encountered the televised reviews of the fabulous, fighting film critics from Chicago at a formative age, I can back up everything Singer says about how their program was revelatory for a kid who otherwise knew little about cinema apart from the booming blockbusters. This article is published by The Reveal.