Apostasy is Katy Mongeau’s first book. I first read the book in one sitting, but then found myself rereading the pages in multiple sittings. The reading experience was exactly what I needed in my self-isolation during a pandemic.
Names, Thrills, and Sociopaths: Tom Lutz on Writing “Born Slippy”
Earlier this year, I interviewed writer Tom Lutz at the Strand. The occasion was the release of his new novel Born Slippy, the story of two men — Frank, a self-taught carpenter, and Dmitry, an ambitious and amoral figure — whose paths cross again and again over the years. What begins as a wry character study slowly becomes a moral thriller along the lines of Graham Greene, making for a thrilling read. Before our event, I spoke with Lutz at a nearby coffee shop about his novel’s genesis, his work with the Los Angeles Review of Books, and more.
Six Ridiculous Questions: Paul Cohen
The guiding principle of Six Ridiculous Questions is that life is filled with ridiculousness. And questions. That only by giving in to these truths may we hope to slip the surly bonds of reality and attain the higher consciousness we all crave. (Eh, not really, but it sounded good there for a minute.) It’s just. Who knows? The ridiculousness and question bits, I guess. Why six? Assonance, baby, assonance.
Is It Strange to Be an American? An Interview With Meghan Lamb
All of Your Most Private Places is the first story collection from Meghan Lamb. As its title suggests, this is a collection which zeroes in on the nature of spaces and places — their presences, their influences, and what we feel from their absences. Sparked by this new collection, James Tadd Adcox talked with Lamb about privacy, the difficulties of living in Hungary at the current moment, and the life of inanimate objects.
Six Ridiculous Questions: Rob Roberge
The guiding principle of Six Ridiculous Questions is that life is filled with ridiculousness. And questions. That only by giving in to these truths may we hope to slip the surly bonds of reality and attain the higher consciousness we all crave. (Eh, not really, but it sounded good there for a minute.) It’s just. Who knows? The ridiculousness and question bits, I guess. Why six? Assonance, baby, assonance.
Six Ridiculous Questions: Shya Scanlon
The guiding principle of Six Ridiculous Questions is that life is filled with ridiculousness. And questions. That only by giving in to these truths may we hope to slip the surly bonds of reality and attain the higher consciousness we all crave. (Eh, not really, but it sounded good there for a minute.) It’s just. Who knows? The ridiculousness and question bits, I guess. Why six? Assonance, baby, assonance.
Six Ridiculous Questions: Matthew Binder
The guiding principle of Six Ridiculous Questions is that life is filled with ridiculousness. And questions. That only by giving in to these truths may we hope to slip the surly bonds of reality and attain the higher consciousness we all crave. (Eh, not really, but it sounded good there for a minute.) It’s just. Who knows? The ridiculousness and question bits, I guess. Why six? Assonance, baby, assonance.
Literary Hauntings and Nameless Cities: An Interview With Amina Cain
The last time I talked with Amina Cain it was 2013 and the subject was her book Creature. Now, Cain has returned with a new book, Indelicacy — a novel about a woman’s artistic awakening amidst questions of art, intimacy, and class. It’s a difficult book to describe, because so much of its power stems from the manner in which Cain tells it story: what she keeps in, what she leaves out, and how she transforms the familiar into something almost fantastical. I talked with Cain about her new book and how she created it earlier this month.