New Yorker Briefly Noted: Four Books on Race, Death, Love, and Identity
The New Yorker's Briefly Noted section reviews four new books. Wilbert L. Cooper's 'The Black Shield' (Farrar, Straus & Giroux) examines a Black police organization in Cleveland from the 1940s, alongside his parents' membership, questioning whether Black communities are better served by Black police. Ricard Solé's 'Endless Endings' (Princeton), translated by Eduardo Aparicio, explores death through a lyrical lens, from apoptosis to digital archives, arguing that death is an organizing force for complex systems. Carol Gilligan's novel 'Solstice' (Random House) begins in Boston in 1969, following Eve, a dancer, and her husband Gabe, a journalist, through infidelity and reconciliation, spanning decades. Laura Kasischke's poetry collection 'I Was Bonnie & Clyde' (Copper Canyon) probes selves and stories, upending stereotypes of Western womanhood with a voice that is biting, contemplative, eerie, and funny.
Key facts
- The Black Shield by Wilbert L. Cooper is published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
- The Black Shield emerged in Cleveland in the 1940s.
- Cooper's parents were members of the Black Shield.
- Endless Endings by Ricard Solé is translated from Spanish by Eduardo Aparicio and published by Princeton.
- Solstice by Carol Gilligan is published by Random House and set in Boston in 1969.
- I Was Bonnie & Clyde by Laura Kasischke is published by Copper Canyon.
- The reviews appear in The New Yorker's Briefly Noted section.
- The source URL is from The New Yorker magazine, dated September 7, 2026.
Entities
Artists
- Wilbert L. Cooper
- Ricard Solé
- Eduardo Aparicio
- Carol Gilligan
- Laura Kasischke
Institutions
- Farrar, Straus & Giroux
- Princeton University Press
- Random House
- Copper Canyon Press
- The New Yorker
Locations
- Cleveland
- United States
- Boston
- Middle East