In our weekend reading: thoughts on books by Joy Williams and Kevin Barry, literal beach reads, and more.
Coming in 2024: Serializing “VCO”
There’s a long history of serialized fiction in the world, from Charles Dickens’s novels to Stephen King publishing The Green Mile in six parts. Next year, we’ll be joining that tradition by publishing VCO, a novel by James Jacob Hatfield, over the course of 40 weeks. James has more information on the project on his website.
Afternoon Bites: Hillary Leftwich Nonfiction, Literary Scandals, Jeff Jackson and Meghan Lamb on Writing and Music, and More
In our afternoon reading: new writing by Hillary Leftwich, Jeff Jackson and Meghan Lamb in conversation, and more.
Blood in My Mouth: A Conversation Between Jeff Jackson and Meghan Lamb
A lot of writers were in bands when they were young, but what about making music after you’ve published a few novels and are old enough for the romance of late night shows in dive bars to have dimmed? Is it something most people outgrow for a reason? A compulsion related to arrested development or midlife crisis? Or is performance intimately related to the act of writing in ways that are slow to reveal themselves?
Morning Bites: Jeff Jackson Interviewed, Maurice Broaddus on Writing, Tom Conaghan on Stories, and More
In our morning reading: interviews with Jeff Jackson and Melissa Febos, looking back at Destroyer’s discography, and more.
Jeff Jackson on Julian Calendar’s Visceral, Conceptual Rock Sound
Jeff Jackson is the author of Destroy All Monsters, a heady yet visceral take on rock music, violence, and the nature of communities. Jeff Jackson also plays music in Julian Calendar, a postpunk band whose music could also be described as heady yet visceral. Since 2017, the group has released 5 records, including 4 EPs in the Crimson Static series.As an admirer of Jackson’s work in both spheres, I reached out to him about discussing the evolution of his foray into music, and how it’s affected his writing.
Afternoon Bites: Laura van den Berg, Karolina Waclawiak Interviewed, Pandemic Literature, Sophie Mackintosh, and More
In our afternoon reading: a review of Laura van den Berg’s collection, an interview with Karolina Waclawiak, and more.
Morning Bites: Sarah Gerard, Jeff Jackson on Dennis Cooper, S.A. Cosby, Slant 6 Revisited, and More
In our morning reading: new writing by Sarah Gerard, an interview with Slant 6, and more.