Christoph Irmscher
@chrisirmscher.bsky.social
Literary critic & book reviewer. http://christophirmscher.com.
A new book on the Vorticists finally puts the female artists front and center. My review of James King's "Our Little Gang" (@reaktionbools.co.uk) in @theartnewspapwr.bsky.social): www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/10/31/n...
New book highlights Vorticism’s toxic side—and puts its women pioneers back in the frame
James King’s study places Jessica Dismorr and Helen Saunders at the centre of the movement
www.theartnewspaper.com
November 3, 2025 at 1:41 PM
A new book on the Vorticists finally puts the female artists front and center. My review of James King's "Our Little Gang" (@reaktionbools.co.uk) in @theartnewspapwr.bsky.social): www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/10/31/n...
Such a pleasure to speak with Anne Kim of @washingtonmonthly.com about the art of book reviewing.
Feed: "Washington Monthly"
By: Anne Kim on Thursday, October 9, 2025
By: Anne Kim on Thursday, October 9, 2025
In Defense of Book Reviews
Kukula Award winner Christoph Irmscher discusses the craft of professional criticism, and why book reviews remain vital to democracy.
washingtonmonthly.com
October 10, 2025 at 12:24 AM
Such a pleasure to speak with Anne Kim of @washingtonmonthly.com about the art of book reviewing.
Laurent Binet's brilliant art historical whodunnit "Perspectives" (@fsgbooks.bsky.social, @penguinbooksuk.bsky.social) makes the world of 16th-century Florence come alive. My review in The Art Newspaper: www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/10/01/p...
Pontormo, Vasari and Michelangelo take leading roles in this 16th-century whodunnit
Novelist Laurent Binet weaves a compelling tale of Renaissance Italy with this art historical murder mystery
www.theartnewspaper.com
October 1, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Laurent Binet's brilliant art historical whodunnit "Perspectives" (@fsgbooks.bsky.social, @penguinbooksuk.bsky.social) makes the world of 16th-century Florence come alive. My review in The Art Newspaper: www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/10/01/p...
New review in this week's @wsj.com of Henry Wiencek's "Stan and Gus" (@fsgbooks.bsky.social), a dual bio of Augustus Saint-Gaudens and the notorious Stanford White. Find out why I think a crab is the fitting symbol of their friendship:
www.wsj.com/arts-culture...
www.wsj.com/arts-culture...
‘Stan and Gus’ Review: Monsters and Monuments
Stanford White and Augustus Saint-Gaudens had ambitious visions for New York City—and towering egos to match.
www.wsj.com
September 19, 2025 at 7:45 PM
New review in this week's @wsj.com of Henry Wiencek's "Stan and Gus" (@fsgbooks.bsky.social), a dual bio of Augustus Saint-Gaudens and the notorious Stanford White. Find out why I think a crab is the fitting symbol of their friendship:
www.wsj.com/arts-culture...
www.wsj.com/arts-culture...
My take on Jonathan Aaron’s wonderful “Just About Anything” @cmupress.bsky.social in @ronslate.bsky.social’s “On the Seawall”: “Aaron’s poetry, for the length of a few lines, a handful of pages, persuades us that things or people that are gone aren’t, in fact, lost.” www.ronslate.com/on-just-abou...
September 12, 2025 at 6:55 PM
My take on Jonathan Aaron’s wonderful “Just About Anything” @cmupress.bsky.social in @ronslate.bsky.social’s “On the Seawall”: “Aaron’s poetry, for the length of a few lines, a handful of pages, persuades us that things or people that are gone aren’t, in fact, lost.” www.ronslate.com/on-just-abou...
My new review in @wsj.com--"The Shape of Wonder," @pantheonbooks.bsky.social, a very readable book, by astrophysicist Alan Lightman and abstronomer Martin Rees. Felt compelled to put in a reminder at the end that the humanities and arts are kind of cool, too: www.wsj.com/arts-culture...
‘The Shape of Wonder’ Review: Loving Their Lab Lives
The pursuit of scientific knowledge through experiment demands training, rigor and precision. For some it is a deep source of joy.
www.wsj.com
September 3, 2025 at 4:19 AM
My new review in @wsj.com--"The Shape of Wonder," @pantheonbooks.bsky.social, a very readable book, by astrophysicist Alan Lightman and abstronomer Martin Rees. Felt compelled to put in a reminder at the end that the humanities and arts are kind of cool, too: www.wsj.com/arts-culture...
If you‘re curious about what‘s happening to higher ed in my state (Indiana), here‘s an indispensable analysis, with plenty of evidence, by my colleague Purnima Bose: againstthecurrent.org/atc238/india...
Indiana’s Assault on Public Education
Godfather of Trump University, Trump is insisting on his rules for private and public U.S. universities. RIGHT-WING AUTHORITARIANS such as Donald Trump and his MAGA minions drive their ideological …
againstthecurrent.org
September 1, 2025 at 1:50 AM
If you‘re curious about what‘s happening to higher ed in my state (Indiana), here‘s an indispensable analysis, with plenty of evidence, by my colleague Purnima Bose: againstthecurrent.org/atc238/india...
I am so thrilled to have won one of the two 2025 Kukula awards, and congratulations to all the finalists and fellow award winner Ian Johnson. My deep gratitude to @washingtonmonthly.com for making this award possible—and to Kukula Kapoor Glastris, too, for her work. What a legacy!
The Washington Monthly’s annual award celebrates the best in nonfiction book reviewing and honors the memory of Kukula Kapoor Glastris, the magazine’s beloved books editor. Read online about this year's winners:
washingtonmonthly.com/2025/08/20/t...
washingtonmonthly.com/2025/08/20/t...
The 2025 Kukula Award Winners | Washington Monthly
Annual award celebrates nonfiction book reviewing and honors the memory of Kukula Kapoor Glastris, the magazine’s beloved books editor.
washingtonmonthly.com
August 20, 2025 at 11:02 PM
I am so thrilled to have won one of the two 2025 Kukula awards, and congratulations to all the finalists and fellow award winner Ian Johnson. My deep gratitude to @washingtonmonthly.com for making this award possible—and to Kukula Kapoor Glastris, too, for her work. What a legacy!
Audubon is usually associated with largeness—here’s my view of him as a miniaturist, published in @engelsbergideas.bsky.social. engelsbergideas.com/essays/when-...
When nature took flight
In The Birds of America, a monumental achievement in every sense, John James Audubon wanted more than to illustrate nature. He made it come alive in his art, humbling mankind in the process.
engelsbergideas.com
August 18, 2025 at 4:16 AM
Audubon is usually associated with largeness—here’s my view of him as a miniaturist, published in @engelsbergideas.bsky.social. engelsbergideas.com/essays/when-...
Very happy to be a finalist. Book reviewers often work in obscurity—it’s so great of @washingtonmonthly.com to recognize our work. Congratulations to all the other finalists!
The Washington Monthly proudly announces the finalists of the 2025 Kukula Award for Excellence in Nonfiction Book Reviewing:
The Washington Monthly Announces Finalists for 2025 Kukula Award Book Review Prize | Washington Monthly
Kukula Award book review prize honors exemplary nonfiction book reviewing that elucidates key issues of our times.
washingtonmonthly.com
August 12, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Very happy to be a finalist. Book reviewers often work in obscurity—it’s so great of @washingtonmonthly.com to recognize our work. Congratulations to all the other finalists!
Congrats to all the poetry finalists of @bookcritics.bsky.social! It has been such an honor to serve on this committee!
We're excited to announce the shortlist for the 2024 NBCC Award for Poetry! Congratulations to all of the finalists.
January 24, 2025 at 3:18 AM
Congrats to all the poetry finalists of @bookcritics.bsky.social! It has been such an honor to serve on this committee!
What a delight to serve on the autobiography committee of @bookcritics.bsky.social! Congrats to all our finalists!
We're excited to announce the shortlist for the 2024 NBCC Award for Autobiography! Congratulations to all of the finalists.
January 24, 2025 at 3:16 AM
What a delight to serve on the autobiography committee of @bookcritics.bsky.social! Congrats to all our finalists!
It has been such an honor to serve on the biography committee of @bookcritics.bsky.social. Check out our excellent finalists below!
We're excited to announce the shortlist for the 2024 NBCC Award for Biography! Congratulations to all of the finalists.
January 24, 2025 at 3:15 AM
It has been such an honor to serve on the biography committee of @bookcritics.bsky.social. Check out our excellent finalists below!
Reposted by Christoph Irmscher
We're excited to announce the shortlist for the 2024 John Leonard Prize, given to an outstanding first book in any genre! Congratulations to all of the finalists.
January 23, 2025 at 3:08 PM
We're excited to announce the shortlist for the 2024 John Leonard Prize, given to an outstanding first book in any genre! Congratulations to all of the finalists.
Reposted by Christoph Irmscher
Congratulations to Lori Lynn Turner, the winner of the 2024 NBCC Service Award!
January 23, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Congratulations to Lori Lynn Turner, the winner of the 2024 NBCC Service Award!
Reposted by Christoph Irmscher
Congratulations to @thirdworldpress.bsky.social, the winner of the 2024 Toni Morrison Achievement Award!
January 23, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Congratulations to @thirdworldpress.bsky.social, the winner of the 2024 Toni Morrison Achievement Award!
Reposted by Christoph Irmscher
We’re excited to announce that in honor of our 50th anniversary, we’ll be joined at the NBCC Awards ceremony by Maxine Hong Kingston!
January 23, 2025 at 3:14 PM
We’re excited to announce that in honor of our 50th anniversary, we’ll be joined at the NBCC Awards ceremony by Maxine Hong Kingston!
So happy to have been involved in selecting this fabulous list of finalists! Congrats to all!
Congratulations to all of our finalists and winners! www.bookcritics.org/2025/01/23/n...
January 24, 2025 at 3:13 AM
So happy to have been involved in selecting this fabulous list of finalists! Congrats to all!
A timely artist. My review of the Alfred Kubin exhibit at the Albertina in Vienna & the accompanying catalog. www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/01/08/t...
The stuff of nightmares: catalogue of Alfred Kubin’s work shines a light on his dark world
The macabre artist’s blood-soaked prints and drawings at the start of the 20th century foretold future wars
www.theartnewspaper.com
January 10, 2025 at 5:20 AM
A timely artist. My review of the Alfred Kubin exhibit at the Albertina in Vienna & the accompanying catalog. www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/01/08/t...
I served on the poetry committee of @bookcritics.bsky.social. It was an honor to help select our first-ever poetry longlist for 2024. Congratulations to all these wonderful writers!
We're excited to announce the longlist for the 2024 NBCC Award for Poetry! Congratulations to all of the nominees. www.bookcritics.org/2024/12/18/2...
December 19, 2024 at 3:39 PM
I served on the poetry committee of @bookcritics.bsky.social. It was an honor to help select our first-ever poetry longlist for 2024. Congratulations to all these wonderful writers!
Here is our first ever longlist for biography 2024 @bookcritics.bsky.social. Proud to be a member of our biography committee and to help select these wonderful titles. Congrats to the authors!
We're excited to announce the longlist for the 2024 NBCC Award for Biography! Congratulations to all of the nominees. www.bookcritics.org/2024/12/17/2...
December 18, 2024 at 1:36 AM
Here is our first ever longlist for biography 2024 @bookcritics.bsky.social. Proud to be a member of our biography committee and to help select these wonderful titles. Congrats to the authors!
Check out our autobiography longlist below. I served on the autobiography committee of @bookcritics.bsky.social, and it was a pleasure and an honor to spend the last few months in the company of these amazing writers! Congratulations!
We're excited to announce the longlist for the 2024 NBCC Award for Autobiography! Congratulations to all of the nominees. www.bookcritics.org/2024/12/17/2...
December 17, 2024 at 5:07 PM
Check out our autobiography longlist below. I served on the autobiography committee of @bookcritics.bsky.social, and it was a pleasure and an honor to spend the last few months in the company of these amazing writers! Congratulations!
How exciting to be able to share the @bookcritics.bsky.social’s longlist for the 2024 Criticism Award!
We're excited to announce the longlist for the 2024 NBCC Award for Criticism! Congratulations to all of the nominees. www.bookcritics.org/2024/12/16/2...
December 16, 2024 at 11:11 PM
How exciting to be able to share the @bookcritics.bsky.social’s longlist for the 2024 Criticism Award!
Our fiction longlist @bookcritics.bsky.social is out! Check out these amazing titles below!
We're excited to announce the longlist for the 2024 NBCC Award for Fiction! Congratulations to all of the nominees. www.bookcritics.org/2024/12/16/2...
December 16, 2024 at 9:21 PM
Our fiction longlist @bookcritics.bsky.social is out! Check out these amazing titles below!
My most recent article in @harvardmagazine.bsky.social: About Werner Sollors's new collection of essays and his decades of work redefining what it means to be "American"--scholarship more important than ever as we're facing another resurgence of nativist rhetoric. www.harvardmagazine.com/node/88621
Redefining Race as Ethnicity | Harvard Magazine
The expansive literary scholarship of Werner Sollors
www.harvardmagazine.com
December 15, 2024 at 2:08 AM
My most recent article in @harvardmagazine.bsky.social: About Werner Sollors's new collection of essays and his decades of work redefining what it means to be "American"--scholarship more important than ever as we're facing another resurgence of nativist rhetoric. www.harvardmagazine.com/node/88621