In our afternoon reading: an excerpt from Neneh Cherry’s memoir, remembrances of influential writers, and more.
The Art of Absence: An Interview With Jody Hobbs Hesler
Jody Hobbs Hesler’s debut novel Without You Here tells of family love, complicated by circumstances, mental illness, and powerful, difficult emotional inheritance, exemplified by the profound connection between Noreen and her aunt, Nonie. Like the author’s acclaimed short story collection What Makes You Think You’re Supposed to Feel Better, the novel takes place in and around Charlottesville. Jody lives there, writing and teaching at WriterHouse. We first met at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and caught up this time by phone.
Morning Bites: Gabino Iglesias on “Termush,” Juni Ba’s Latest, Bill Callahan Returns, and More
In our morning reading: Gabino Iglesias on dystopian history, a preview of Juni Ba’s next book, and more.
Afternoon Bites: Laura van den Berg Interviewed, Comics Writing, Adam Roberts’s Latest, and More
In our afternoon reading: an interview with Laura van den Berg, a fundraiser for Desert Island, and more.
Books of the Month: October 2024
What does your October reading list look like? Ours, it’s safe to say, covers a lot of ground. If you’re looking to see NYC through new eyes or revisit the work of an iconic filmmaker, we have you covered; if you’d prefer a trip into space or a jaunt into history, we have those angles covered as well. Read on for some literary recommendations to ease you into fall.
Morning Bites: Louise Erdrich’s Latest, Melissa Febos Nonfiction, Werewolf Books, and More
In our morning reading: thoughts on Louise Erdrich’s new novel, recommended books about werewolves, and more.
Sunday Stories: “A Big Old Pit of Fire”
A Big Old Pit of Fire
by Matt Rowan
I think it had been that way for as long as I could remember. There’d been the sweltering heat of my birth, expelled into a world of vapors and vitiation, always with the sense that someone’s warm breath was on my neck.
It’d been getting hotter and hotter for as long as anyone could remember, on account of the fires that circled the entire country. They acted as a kind of barrier, too, but it was not fun having to deal with their heat, let me also say.
Weekend Bites: Revisiting Robert Coover, Graham Irvin on Writing, Horror Advice, and More
In our weekend reading: checking in with Robert Coover, advice on writing horror, and more.