Francis Heaney
Francis Heaney is the author of the anagram-laden anthology Holy Tango of Literature. Here he recommends six books, using only the letters in each title and author’s name.
Cemetery Nights by Stephen Dobyns (out of print). These disconcerting poems, composed in prose rhythms, bring to mind sinister bedtime stories concerning identity crises, domesticity gone to the dogs, etc. It’s not Mother Goose. Buy it at Amazon.com
Watchmen by Alan Moore (DC Comics, $20). Whoa, a mammoth cartoon tome that can enthrall e’en a non-teen—not a normal hero tale at all. How can each character act realer than real? A rare treat.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino (Harvest, $13). Translated into English (it was Italian first), this series of narratives that never resolve, thwarting one’s longing to see things to their close, is interwoven with a tale of love—for writing, for another, for life.
A Singing Dictionary by Elvis Costello (Warner Bros., $30). Since getting it (and a nearly-seven-string) in college, I’ve revisited it over and over.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
A Humument by Tom Phillips (Thames & Hudson, $28). As Phillips paints atop a lame MS, his lit one-upmanship mutates into an aesthete’s sumptuous amusement.
The Complete Monty Python’s Flying Circus: All the Words
-
Today's political cartoons - February 23, 2025
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - loser's game, unexpected consequences, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 slow on the draw cartoons about Democrats' response to Trump
Cartoons Artists take on taking a stand, staying still as a statue, and more
By The Week US Published
-
A road trip through Zimbabwe
The Week Recommends The country is 'friendly and relaxed', with plenty to see for those who wish to explore
By The Week UK Published
-
Tessa Bailey's 6 favorite books for hopeless romantics
Feature The best-selling author recommends works by Lyla Sage, Sally Thorne, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Pagan Kennedy's 6 favorite books that inspire resistance
Feature The author recommends works by Patrick Radden Keefe, Margaret Atwood, and more
By The Week US Published
-
John Sayles' 6 favorite works that left a lasting impression
Feature The Oscar-nominated screenwriter recommends works by William Faulkner, Carson McCullers, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Jojo Moyes' 6 favorite books with strong female characters
Feature The best-selling author recommends works by Lisa Taddeo, Claire Keegan, and more
By The Week US Last updated
-
Stacy Horn's 6 favorite works that explore the spectrum of evil
Feature The author recommends works by Kazuo Ishiguro, Anthony Doerr, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Samantha Harvey's 6 favorite books that redefine how we see the world
Feature The Booker Prize-winning author recommends works by Marilynne Robinson, George Eliot, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Alan Cumming's 6 favorite works with resilient characters
Feature The award-winning stage and screen actor recommends works by Douglas Stuart, Alasdair Gray, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Shahnaz Habib's 6 favorite books that explore different cultures
Feature The essayist and translator recommends works by Vivek Shanbhag, Adania Shibli, and more
By The Week US Published