It’s always daunting to talk with a writer who’s made a significant impact on you. Given that John Freeman’s How to Read a Novelist had a seismic effect on the way that I write about books, the opportunity to talk with Freeman about his new novella Hit and Run was both enticing and imposing. Thankfully, Freeman was a warm and engaging conversationalist, and I was happy to talk to him about this new book, which follows a character not unlike Freeman who witnesses a horrific incident and finds his life shifting in its aftermath.
Morning Bites: Lydia Davis’s Fiction, Teju Cole’s Latest, Annie Ernaux on Film, and More
In our morning reading: thoughts on books by Lydia Davis and Teju Cole, Charles Bissell’s making new music, and more.
Morning Bites: Renee Gladman, John Freeman Interviewed, Nicolás Obregón, Susan Sontag’s Fiction, and More
In our morning reading: thoughts on books by Renee Gladman and Susan Sontag, an interview with John Freeman, and more.
Afternoon Bites: Annie DeWitt, Teju Cole’s Playlist, Rion Amilcar Scott, Bob Proehl’s Latest, and More
In our afternoon reading: new writing from Annie DeWitt and Rion Amilcar Scott, the Beat Generation and bagels, and more.
Weekend Bites: “The Fire This Time” Reviewed, Tracy O’Neill Nonfiction, William Gass’s Sentences, Samuel Ligon, and More
In our weekend reading: thoughts on a new Jesmyn Ward-edited anthology, new nonfiction from Tracy O’Neill, an interview with Nathan Ballingrud, and more.
Morning Bites: Umberto Eco Remembered, Dennis Cooper, Terese Svoboda on Lola Ridge, Glenn Branca, and More
In our morning reading: revisiting Umberto Eco, new writing from Pilot Viruet and Margaret Eby, and more.
Morning Bites: Matt Bell’s Playlist, MacArthur Fellows, Mairead Case, Spiritual Jazz, and More
In our morning reading: a playlist from Matt Bell, John Freeman on discovering writers, a review of Mairead Case’s new book, new ficiton from Meredith Turits, and more.
Afternoon Bites: New Zadie Smith Fiction, Ursula K. Le Guin, Michaelangelo Matos Interviewed, John Freeman on Tomas Tranströmer, and More
In our afternoon reading: new fiction from Zadie Smith; interviews with Terese Svodoba, Chuck Palahniuk, and Tomas Tranströmer; news of a new Yo La Tengo album; and more.