In our afternoon reading: an excerpt from Jenny Hval’s latest novel, new writing from Robert Lopez, and more.
Afternoon Bites: Amber Sparks Fiction, Kirkus Prize Finalists, Lee Rourke Interviewed, Michel Foucault’s Style, and More
In our afternoon reading: fiction from Amber Sparks, an interview with Lee Rourke, and more.
Morning Bites: Linda Boström Knausgård Interviewed, Inside Books Are Magic, Amanda Goldblatt, Maria Tumarkin’s Latest, and More
In our morning reading: an interview with Linda Boström Knausgård, thoughts on Jenny Hval’s new album, and more.
Afternoon Bites: Qurratulain Hyder, Janice Lee on Writing, Nicholas Mancusi, Leonard Cohen’s Cocktail, and More
In our afternoon reading: thoughts on the fiction of Qurratulain Hyder, revisiting Leonard Cohen’s cocktail recipe, and more.
Afternoon Bites: David Berman, Max Porter’s Latest, Jay Bernard, Ed Brubaker and Megan Abbott, and More
In our afternoon reading: checking in with David Berman, thoughts on books by Max Porter and Jay Bernard, and more.
Ghosts of Places, Ghosts in Places: A Review of Jenny Hval’s “Paradise Rot”
Some novels have a sense of place. Jenny Hval’s Paradise Rot drips with it. This is the story of a young woman named Jo, who’s come to study in a country other than her own. Where she’s from and where she is are never crucial to the plot — there’s a brief mention of Jo as Norwegian, and of certain locations in the south of England, but specifics, at least these specifics, aren’t the point here. Our protagonist is far from home, speaking a language that isn’t her first, and living among people with whom she’s out of sync. This is a novel about dislocation, about being out of step with a place. It’s also a ghost story — perhaps several varieties of ghost story.
Afternoon Bites: Jenny Hval’s Novel, Paul Auster and Luc Sante, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah on 2018, Priya Sharma, and More
In our afternoon reading: exploring Jenny Hval’s new novel, Paul Auster and Luc Sante in conversation, and much more.
Afternoon Bites: Jenny Hval, Nancy Hightower Fiction, Molly Tanzer, Tana French Interviewed, and More
In our afternoon reading: thoughts on Jenny Hval’s new novel, an interview with Tana French, and more.