Structure

Feel Free is divided into five sections, four of which begin with either “In” or “On.” These prepositions help to situate the essays and Smith herself, according to her role as a critic. For instance, “In the Audience” signals to the reader that the essays that follow place Smith in the role of a spectator, in the audience as an appreciator of music, culture, and comedy. “In the Gallery” signals to the reader that now Smith will be observing works of art while “On the Bookshelf” signals to the reader that Smith will now be reviewing books. The repetitive structure of these titles has two effects. First, the repetition keeps the reader’s focus on the shifting mediums of the works critiqued. Rather than being grouped thematically, these groupings—according to books, art, or performance—remind the reader to think about the form that art takes, as...