In our afternoon reading: reviews of books from Kathryn Davis and Richie Narvaez, an interview with Mira Jacob, and more.
Weekend Bites: Dark Blue’s Recommendations, Writers Drawing Rabbits, Ghost Towns, The Sundowners, and More
In our weekend reading: musical recommendations from Dark Blue, what happens when writers draw rabbits, and much more.
Injustice, Clarity, and Storytelling: An Interview With Scott Adlerberg
The slim, propulsive novels of Scott Adlerberg pack a hell of a punch. He’s equally at home writing characters displaced from the familiar and characters whose daily routine can turn suffocating. His latest novel, 2018’s Jack Waters, follows the story of a gambler who becomes involved in a revolution in the early-20th century Caribbean. What begins as an adventure story with an antihero at its heart slowly changes into something deeper and more unpredictable, yet no less thrilling for it. I spoke with Adlerberg about his use of setting, his literary lineage, and his penchant for splicing genres together.
Morning Bites: Machado de Assis, Jami Attenberg’s Latest, Marlon James, Hanif Abdurraqib’s Playlist, and More
In our morning reading: thoughts on books by Machado de Assis and Marlon James, talking with Jami Attenberg about her next novel, and more.
Morning Bites: Lucia Berlin Revisited, Jonathan Lethem, Gabino Iglesias Interviewed, Sharron Kraus, and More
In our morning reading: revisiting the works of Lucia Berlin, interviews with Gabino Iglesias and Idra Novey, and more.
Morning Bites: Gerald Murnane, Arundhati Roy on Language, Nick Drnaso Interviewed, and More
In our morning reading: Brian Evenson on Gerald Murnane, Arundhati Roy on language, and more.
A Tale of Revolution and Crime, Told With Poetry
I was in high school when the movie Payback came out. I watched it and immediately felt a connection with the main character, Porter, played by Mel Gibson. Sure, he was a bad guy, but the point of the movie was not that he was bad; it was that he wanted what was fair. It didn’t matter to me that the money was stolen, the point was that he deserved to get his cut. In any case, no other movie […]
Afternoon Bites: Adapting “Americanah,” Danez Smith, Scott Adlerberg Interviewed, Pamela Ryder, and More
In our afternoon reading: news of a television adaptation of “Americanah,” new writing by Scaachi Koul and Brandon Taylor, and more.