Outsider

This compilation by longtime New York Times music and arts critic John Rockwell features the creme de la creme of the renowned journalist's arts criticism and commentary over the past 40 years. Taken mostly from the Times, but also including pieces from 17 other sources, such as the Los Angeles Times, The New Republic, the San Francisco Examiner, High Fidelity, Opera, and the Village Voice, these writings present Rockwell's unique vision of the arts scene over the past 40 years, with essays on classical music (including the breadth of contemporary works), rock, dance, art, film, theater, general arts topics, and reports from abroad. Rockwell's analysis includes parallels among the arts, insights from one to another, as he brilliantly communicates his aesthetic experiences to the reader.