My author copies of The Bridge arrived today. My new puppy Eleanor barked as I opened the boxes, in either fear or excitement. The book sits on the desk as I write this. My fourth book and third novel, this time it is an out-of-body experience. Previous books arrived in similar boxes and it was euphoric, terrifying, victorious, or any happy-dance-air-punching combination of the above. But this time it’s different. I look at The Bridge and it looks back and me and any minute one of us is going to say, “Wait. Do I know you?”
Morning Bites: Meredith Talusan Nonfiction, Anna Vaught, Katie Kitamura Interviewed, J.S. Breukelaar, and More
In our morning reading: new writing from Meredith Talusan, interviews with Katie Kitamura and Anna Vaught, and more.
Morning Bites: Translating Thomas Bernhard, Gina Nutt’s Latest, J.S. Breukelaar and Nathan Carson Reading, and More
In our morning reading: thoughts on translation, a review of Gina Nutt’s new book, and more.
Morning Bites: R. O. Kwon, Inside Riffraff, J.S. Breukelaar’s Latest, Birthday Party Revisited, and More
In our morning reading: an interview with R. O. Kwon, inside Providence’s Riffraff, and more.
Afternoon Bites: Abi Andrews, Emily Gould Interviewed, N.K. Jemisin, Garcia Peoples’ Recommendations, and More
In our afternoon reading: thoughts on Abi Andrews’s new novel, an interview with Emily Gould, and much more.
Turning Political Divisions Into Surreal Fiction: An Interview With J.S. Breukelaar
Collision, the new collection of stories by J.S. Breukelaar, finds an unsettling balance between high-concept plotlines and intensely visceral encounters with the uncanny. While Breukelaar is adept at creating lived-in settings and lives for her characters, she’s also more than willing to dynamite expectations at a moment’s notice, sending her stories down through impossible memories, fragmented timelines, and bizarre afterlives. I talked with her about the collection’s genesis, how real-world events influenced some of the more fantastical stories within, and the role of music in her work.
Afternoon Bites: J.S. Breukelaar’s Playlist, Aruna D’Souza, Justin Grimbol Interviewed, Autoclave Reissued, and More
In our afternoon reading: a playlist from J.S. Breukelaar, terrifying cartoons, an interview with Justin Grimbol, and more.
Afternoon Bites: Kate Zambreno Interviewed, Emma Straub on Bookstores, Jeff VanderMeer’s Latest, and More
In our afternoon reading: interviews with Kate Zambreno and Emma Straub, thoughts on Jeff VanderMeer’s new novel, and more.