Staff Directory 6370568

Chris Hewitt

Interim editor | Books
Phone: 612-673-4367

Interim books editor Chris Hewitt previously worked at the Pioneer Press in St. Paul, where he wrote about movies and theater.


Armed with a degree in the lucrative field of history, Chris has written for publications that vary from a small-town newspaper to a city magazine to national sites. He's probably reading a good book right this minute.
Recent content from Chris Hewitt
Douglas Preston

'The Lost Tomb' may be the true crime book you've been waiting for

NONFICTION: Murder, cannibalism and lost civilizations are subjects in Douglas Preston's collection.
In Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Wish,” Asha (voiced by Ariana DeBose) is a sharp-witted idealist who lives in Rosas, a kingdom where wishes c

Review: If you're looking for something old and new in animation, here's your 'Wish'

The Disney movie is a contemporary fairy tale with great songs.
Barry Keoghan plays a visitor to a tony estate in “Saltburn.”

Review: Trip to 'Saltburn' is chaotic, confusing

Barry Keoghan's enigmatic performance is electrifying.
Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein and Carey Mulligan as Felicia Montealegre in “Maestro.”

Review: Bradley Cooper's 'Maestro' is a bold movie about a man for whom music came first

Composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein is the subject of the unconventional biopic.
40 great books to get you — or someone on your gift list — through the winter

40 great books to get you — or someone on your gift list — through the winter

Do the folks on your holiday list want something to read? Of course, they do! We recommend 40 books that will thrill you, warm your heart, make you laugh and maybe change the way you see the world.
This holiday season, how about joining a national project?

Record a heart-to-heart chat this Thanksgiving and be a part of history

StoryCorps's Great Thanksgiving Listen wants to add your story to its national oral history.
Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler star in the latest entry in the “Hunger Games” series.

Review: Rachel Zegler stuns in 'Hunger Games' prequel — too bad she's not the star

The "West Side Story" star sings, romances and kills in "Songbirds & Snakes."
Barbra Streisand

Barbra Streisand's 900-page memoir offers family drama, career analysis and score-settling

NONFICTION: The 3-pound book is a must-read for fans.
Internationally acclaimed nature photographer Jim Brandenburg.

Jim Brandenburg documentary explores 'secrets' from a forest that makes beautiful music

The film, which blends art and nature, runs at the Bell Museum through Feb. 16, 2024.
Gabriel Bump

An exciting new novelist falters at the end of dazzling 'Naturals'

FICTION: Gabriel Bump's second novel proves again that he is a writer to watch.
Rebecca Renner

An undercover agent chomps down on alligator poaching in true crime 'Gator Country'

NONFICTION: He spent a year spying on farmers who swiped gators and gator eggs.
From left, Dominic Sessa, Paul Giamatti and Da’Vine Joy Randolph in “The Holdovers.”

Da'Vine Joy Randolph is an Oscar frontrunner for 'The Holdovers'

She joins Paul Giamatti and Dominic Sessa in the bittersweet, 1970-set film.
Marley Malanaphy of Minneapolis chatted with Linda and Glenn Goecke in the children’s section Thursday, October 19, 2023, at the Central Library in

Around Hennepin County in 41 libraries: What one couple found on a 'tour de library'

What they discovered — from fine art and spectacular views to Arabic DVDs — surprised them.
August 1950 “SUMMER STOCK” (9) HER BIG NUMBER: Judith (Judy Garland) scores heavily with a somewhat acrobatic male chorus singing “Get Happy,”

C'mon, 'Get Happy' at free movie/reading with writers of Judy Garland book

In addition to the discussion, the musical "Summer Stock" will be screened.
Cailee Spaeny plays Priscilla Presley in Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla.”

Review: Don't expect to learn much about the title character in 'Priscilla'

Newcomer Cailee Spaeny is intriguing as Priscilla Presley but the script doesn't give her much to work with.
Nikki Vargas

Review: Memoirist should look closer at herself in 'Call You When I Land'

NONFICTION: Nikki Vargas' travel writing is invigorating, but her memoir has some lapses.
FILE - This undated photo shows Emmett Louis Till, a 14-year-old black Chicago boy, who was kidnapped, tortured and murdered in 1955 after he allegedl

Three books reckon with lynching, including Mamie Till's and the new 'In the Pines'

NONFICTION: Books about lynching grapple with family legacies and world-changing choices.
Kao Kalia Yang at the East Side Freedom Library Tuesday afternoon. ] AARON LAVINSKY • aaron.lavinsky@startribune.com The real-life bench that is fea

Five Twin Cities writers talk about children's literature, banning books and barriers for BIPOC writers

Thursday's event is free, but registration is required.
Michael Fassbender plays the title role in “The Killer.”

Review: 'The Killer' is a killer of a thriller

Michael Fassbender stars as a hitman who screws up a job, then must pick up the pieces.
Alexander McCall Smith

Review: No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency detects again in 'Far and Lovely Country'

FICTION: Agency gets additional help in the latest mystery.
Louise Erdrich read from her novel “The Night Watchman” in 2020. Photo by Richard Tsong-Taatarii, Star Tribune

Who is Minnesota's favorite writer? These are our readers' top picks

The results are unofficial, but this we know: Minnesotans love Louise Erdrich.
Erika Alexander and Jeffrey Wright in “American Fiction,” a highlight of this year’s Twin Cities Film Festival.

6 things to look for at this year's Twin Cities Film Festival

Filmmakers to watch highlight the annual event at Showplace Icon in St. Louis Park.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone in “Killers of the Flower Moon.”

Review: 'Killers of the Flower Moon' is a solemn epic and a twisted romance

Martin Scorsese's movie rejiggers the telling of the true story in a way that makes good sense.
In an undated handout image, a miniature 19th-century portrait of Jane Austen, whose death at age 41 has long been a source of mystery.

She's hot, she's sexy, she's dead. What Jane Austen is up to now

From Curtis Sittenfeld to Stephanie Barron, contemporary writers keep coming up with new spins on an old fave.
Firefighter Jeremy Norton reads “Black Man in a White Coat” in his bed before he tries to nap at Fire Station 17 in Minneapolis.

Minneapolis firefighter talks inequality, toxic masculinity and what firefighters really do

Capt. Jeremy Norton's new book "Trauma Sponges" is an attempt to encourage conversations about health care and injustice.
Taylor Swift live in concert at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Now she can be seen in a movie “Taylor Swift: Eras Tour.”

Review: Taylor Swift's 'Eras Tour' movie (our critics' version)

Our music critic and film critic discuss how great — and disappointing — her mega-concert film is.
Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift performed onstage on the first night of her “Eras Tour” at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on March 31, 2023.

Looking forward to the 'Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour' movie? Here's what to expect.

The biggest tour ever is likely to become the biggest concert film ever.
Sly Stone

Sly Stone does not come across as 'Everyday People' in his frustrating autobiography

NONFICTION: "Thank You" is best when it discusses classic songs such as "Family Affair" and "Dance to the Music."
John Grisham

I refused to review the new John Grisham. (It's that bad.) Read 'Stolen Coast' instead.

FICTION: The sequel to "The Firm, "The Exchange," isn't even a legal thriller.
Kate DiCamillo will launch “The Puppets of Spelhorst” at the Twin Cities Book Festival Oct. 14.

Twin Cities Book Festival includes Kate DiCamillo, Keith Ellison, many more

The daylong celebration of books is at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds.
Ellen Burstyn returns to battle the devil in “The Exorcist: Believer.”

Review: Don't expect to be frightened by 'The Exorcist: Believer'

Ellen Burstyn returns for the sequel, but the scares do not.
Tim O’Brien

Small-time thugs and big-time crooks hole up at a Minnesota lake in 'America Fantastica'

FICTION: Tim O'Brien's latest is a crime romp that recalls Carl Hiaasen.
Beloved Minneapolis writer Kate DiCamillo launches yet another winning series

Beloved Minneapolis writer Kate DiCamillo launches yet another winning series

The fairy tale is about five puppets who exert a powerful pull on the people who possess them.
John David Washington in a scene from “The Creator.”

Review: Outstanding 'The Creator' comes out of nowhere to kick off the fall movie season

John David Washington stars as a grieving soldier who befriends a robot.
Jessica Knoll

When a killer stalks 'Bright Young Women,' why do their stories get lost?

FICTION: Jessica Knoll's novel, inspired by Ted Bundy's crimes, puts the women at its center.
Elizabeth Hand

Review: Scary new book is a sequel to Shirley Jackson's 1959 'The Haunting of Hill House'

FICTION: Elizabeth Hand's "A Haunting on the Hill" keeps the scares coming in a creepy, deserted mansion.
Louise Erdrich at her bookstore, Birchbark Books, in Minneapolis, May 5, 2016.

If Sinclair Lewis isn't the best Minnesota author, who is?

Inspired by a new list, we're curious about your favorites. Louise Erdrich? Kate DiCamillo? Marcie Rendon?
“Downtown Owl,” which will close the Twin Cities Film Festival in St. Louis Park on Oct. 28, filmed for a week at the Spot Bar in St. Paul.

Twin Cities Film Fest features Alexander Payne's 'Holdovers' and made-in-Minnesota 'Downtown Owl'

The 14th annual festival takes place in St. Louis Park.
Benjamin Percy, a novelist who lives in Northfield, will join Nathan Hill to discuss their new novels at Magers & Quinn.

Benjamin Percy and Nathan Hill talk books, Minnesota

They're debuting novels "The Sky Vault" and "Wellness."
Ann Patchett

Talking Volumes author Ann Patchett on Kate DiCamillo, 'Cats' and the novel that went disastrously wrong

The best-selling author says all her books are about the same thing.
Ben Johnson, Minneapolis’ first director of the new department of Arts & Cultural Affairs, is helping launch the city and the Loft Literary Center�

Could you be Minneapolis' first poet laureate?

Now hiring: The city and the Loft are searching for an advocate for poetry.
This view shows the Chicago Courthouse and downtown in the aftermath of the fire in 1871. AP did not have photographers at the time of the Chicago fir

7 shocking books about real-life fires — in Hinckley, Minn., Chicago and Montana

NONFICTION: Scott W. Berg's "The Burning of the World," about the Great Chicago Fire, joins an exceptional list.
Matt Patterson (from left), Sy Montgomery and friends.

'Of Time and Turtles' has lots to teach us about compassion and nature

NONFICTION: Sy Montgomery's tale of turtle rescues is a cousin to her "The Soul of an Octopus."
During a summer in the country, 8-year-old Cocó experiences deep revelations while tending to beehives in “20,000 Species of Bees.”

Hollywood is a bit up in the air but there's a movie series for everyone

From erotic shorts to "Singin' in the Rain," Twin Cities movie festivals have you covered.
Lily Gladstone and Leonardo DiCaprio star in Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon.”

10 movies we're most excited for this fall

Get ready for a scary, funny, Oscar-nominee-packed autumn at the multiplex.
Richard Osman

Murder-solving octogenarians solve crimes in 'The Last Devil to Die'

FICTION: Richard Osman's "Thursday Murder Club" series keeps getting better.
From left, Tina Fey, Michelle Yeoh and Kenneth Branagh in the movie “A Haunting in Venice.”

Review: 'A Haunting in Venice' takes the Christie out of an Agatha Christie mystery

The setting and main character are compelling but the clues don't add up.
Daniel Mason

Want a great fall read? Check out 'North Woods'

FICTION: Daniel Mason's book is a playful, inventive history of a Massachusetts house.
Jess Lourey’s new thriller, “The Taken Ones,” is out this week. She has four separate writing spaces in the four-story Minneapolis home her frie

Minneapolis mystery author uses humor to counter the brutality in her books

Jess Lourey's latest thriller is "The Taken Ones."
Nia Vardalos, center, and her Portokalos family gather for a reunion in Greece for “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3.”

Review: In 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3,' the gang travels to the source of their humor

Nia Vardalos again wrote and stars in the family comedy.
Hannah Carlson

Review: 'Pockets,' a new book, reveals gender, class and control issues in the simple receptacle

NONFICTION: Plenty of illustrations help tell the story.
Rachael Leigh Cook in Hallmark Channel’s “Tis the Season to Be Merry.”

Rachael Leigh Cook and 'Mallrats' stars on tap for Twin Cities Con

The annual fan fest in November is a chance to get autographs and buy tons of merch.
Mick Herron

Review: 'Secret Hours' delivers more spy games and wisecracks from 'Slow Horses' writer

FICTION: Mick Herron's latest is suspenseful and packed with juicy insults.
Minneapolis North High School football coach Charles Adams.

Former Minneapolis cop writes candidly about George Floyd, police racism and championship football

The memoir, "Twin Cities," covers a lot of ground.
Laurie Hertzel, former Star Tribune books editor and past president of the National Book Critics Circle, teaches and writes for numerous publications.

Former Star Tribune books editor Laurie Hertzel wins award

The prize, also given to Lauren Stringer, honors contributions to children's literature.
“Jersey Boys” opened at Chanhassen Dinner Theater on June 23 and runs through February 2024.

Opening night? Closing? Theater artists break down the best time to see a play.

It will depend on whether you like the energy of newness or the richness that comes with time.
Comedian and Duluth native Maria Bamford’s new memoir is “Sure, I’ll Join Your Cult.”

Duluth's Maria Bamford reveals it all: The State Fair, suicide, comedy, sex and money

Review: Her memoir has hilarious jokes and compassionate insight into mental illness.
Rachel Sennott, left, and Ayo Edebiri in the raunchy comedy “Bottoms.”

Review: When it comes to comedy, 'Bottoms' is tops

A contemporary "Heathers," its stars are two high schoolers who form a female fight club.
Archie Madekwe, left, and David Harbour in “Gran Turismo.”

Review: 'Gran Turismo' zooms past plot holes

Based on a true story, the drama features a great performance by David Harbour.
Alice Feeney

Review: Can the Queen of Twists keep 'em coming with thriller 'Good Bad Girl?'

REVIEW: Alice Feeney's latest is about mothers, daughters and ridiculous coincidences.
Laura Meckler

Review: A 'Dream Town' struggles for equity in its schools, with mixed success

NONFICTION: Washington Post reporter Laura Meckler embedded in Shaker Heights to tell its story.
There’s a new book in Stieg Larsson’s “Dragon Tattoo” series. But, yes, he’s still dead.

Dead writers like Stieg Larsson, Agatha Christie and Vince Flynn keep churning out books. Shouldn't they rest in peace?

They've left this mortal coil but their bylines live on.
Review: Five dogs are determined to sniff out all the fun at the State Fair

Review: Five dogs are determined to sniff out all the fun at the State Fair

FICTION: The picture book introduces young readers to fair highlights.
Dogs, voiced by Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx and others, go on an epic adventure in “Strays.”

Review: Jamie Foxx and Will Ferrell supply the voices for some not-very-funny 'Strays'

Along with Isla Fisher and Randall Park, they're part of a vengeance-minded canine gang.
Louise Erdrich at her bookstore, Birchbark Books, in Minneapolis, May 5, 2016.

The pandemic has waned, but novelists remain fascinated by it

Couples were thrown together and mysteries brought into focus in novels of the past three years.
Anna Funder

Review: I loved 'Wifedom' but it will make you hate George Orwell

Anna Funder writes about his wife, Eileen Orwell, whose life and contributions have been erased.
Reed Larson, photographed at his home in White Bear Lake in 2017, has a new memoir, “The Shot.”

NHL star Reed Larson and Jennifer Cramer-Miller bring memoirs to the people

Authors of books on hockey and hope have signings this month.
Linda LeGarde Grover photo by Three Irish Girls Photography

What's all of Minnesota reading? 'In the Night of Memory'

One Book/One Minnesota returns with a novel from a Duluth author.
Marilyn Monroe (center, in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes with Jane Russell) is one of the real-life characters in “The Enchanters.”

Disappointed in the summer blockbusters? Read these Hollywood books instead

From hellhole to benign workplace, there's a Tinsel Town for everyone in new books about making movies.
Casey Affleck and Zoey Deschanel star in Bill Pohlad’s musical drama “Dreamin’ Wild.”

Review: Bill Pohlad's 'Dreamin' Wild' is a mournful, ironic character study

Casey Affleck stars as a struggling musician who's given an unexpected shot at success.
Lynn Melnick

How Dolly Parton's music, and a trip to Dollywood, helped one writer survive trauma

NONFICTION: Poet Lynn Melnick finds inspiration and support in Dolly Parton's life and words.
Barbra Streisand, shown in concert in 2012, is just one of the superstars with books on the way in the coming weeks.

From Barbra Streisand to Sly Stone, 12 superstars are coming out with books

Screen stars and literary stars will share the shelf space at bookstores in the coming weeks.
Peter Heller

Review: Battling Yellowstone poachers and killers in 'The Last Ranger'

FICTION: Peter Heller's latest is an adventure in which the title character tries to solve an attempted murder.
Ann Patchett

Review: Ann Patchett's new novel 'Tom Lake' is so good you won't want it to end

FICTION: Its narrator tells her daughters a wild tale of her youth while they tend their cherry farm.
From left, Rosario Dawson, Tiffany Haddish, LaKeith Stanfield and Owen Wilson scare up laughs (and grief) in “Haunted Mansion.”

Review: 'Haunted Mansion' scares up as many tears as laughs

Ghosts are a metaphor for grief in the not-quite comedy.