August brings with it hotter temperatures, a vision of a more humid life, and the slightest hint that fall might be on the way. August also brings with it a host of thought-provoking books, deftly-translated works from around the world, and imaginative fiction that riffs on contemporary concerns. Here’s a look at some of the books due out this month that have us most excited.
Christina Vantzou‘s solo work ventures into stunning, complex ambient passages. Her latest album, No. 4, is perhaps her most musically varied work yet, summoning up an array of haunting emotions while instilling a sense of bliss through the density and melodic qualities heard throughout. In advance of her show in Brooklyn on April 7th as part of the Ambient Church series, I talked with her about the making of the album and some of the literary influences on her music.
In our afternoon reading: thoughts on books by Clarissa Goenawan and Christine Mangan, exploring the work of Fred Moten, and more.
In our weekend reading: Maggie Nelson on the essays of Fred Moten, new writing by Leslie Jamison, and much more.
In our afternoon reading: interviews with Etgar Keret and Kathi Wilcox, a look at the government’s surveillance of James Baldwin, new writing from Morgan Parker and Fred Moten, and more.
In our afternoon reading: a pair of interviews with Sarah Gerard, revisiting comics history with Neil Gaiman, revisiting parallel universes with El-P, and more.