It’s June, and we’re in a pensive mood. Sometimes that can mean thinking about questions of nature, society, and isolation; sometimes it means considering questions of art, artistic intent, and how we view ourselves. Here are ten recommendations for the month that cover a wide thematic ground, and might well leave you thinking about the ways you and others interact with the world, both natural and built.
In our weekend reading: Paul Goldberg on a classic by Jaroslav Hašek, an interview with Alejandro Jodorowsky, and more.
In our afternoon reading: interviews with Mona Awad, Alexander Chee, and Paul Goldberg; new music from G.L.O.S.S.; and more.
February is upon us, bringing with a host of intriguing books, from expansive historical epics to disquieting novels of suspense and horror to biographies of literary and political heroes. For whatever reason, many of the books that have caught our eye for February are due out on the 9th of the month. Perhaps it’s a pre-Valentine’s Day maneuver, because nothing says romance like narratives that bend space and time or those that run paranoia and existential dread to unsettling extremes. […]