Ruins: Revised Edition

by Morgan Meis

A collection of the best essays from one of America's best (winner of an Andy Warhol Foundation Grant) and most poignant, personal and philosophical young critics, Morgan Meis Ph.D, on art, culture, politics and the transitory and illusory nature of time.

Genres: Essays

156 pages, Paperback

First published January 5, 2013

Reviews

[Andrew Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got introduced to Morgan Meis via 3quarksdaily and picked this up after he won a Whiting award. Incredibly skillful, lyric, incisive writing. "Behind Wire", "Ruins", "Francis Hals" and "Katyn" were all standouts to me. Someone should give him giant bags of money to do the Katyn thing in a slightly more longform-y way, or to be an art critic when Schjeldahl or Saltz move on.

[Katherine Pershey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book of essays, most of which were about things I know nothing about and didn't realize were so interesting. There's a really lovely balance of intelligence and compassion. The piece from VQR about Katyn was particularly moving.

[Clifford Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

These essays, on subjects ranging from Twain and Melville to art to the weather, are fascinating, profound, and, maybe most impressively, clear as a bell. A really wonderful collection.