In our afternoon reading: how best to adapt M.R. James, an interview with Jamie Quatro, and more.
Getting Audacious With Ryan Chapman
Reading Ryan Chapman’s fiction involves immersion in very specific milieus — including, for his most recent novel The Audacity, an exclusive gathering of the world’s wealthiest people, a kind of 1% of the 1%. Just before he jets off to one such gathering, protagonist Guy Sarvananthan learns that his wife’s highly-touted startup was not exactly honest with investors about the viability of its business, and that she’s now missing and presumed deceased. What emerges is a heady book of big ideas laced with a comedy of manners that moves with an enticing momentum. I spoke with Chapman about writing The Audacity and the challenges it posed.
Morning Bites: Nathan Ballingrud’s Latest, Memorials’ Album, Charles Bock’s Playlist, and More
In our morning reading: thoughts on books by Nathan Ballingrud and GauZ’, a playlist from Charles Bock, and more.
Afternoon Bites: Neneh Cherry’s Memoir, Remembering Robert Coover and Lore Segal, Nobel Odds, and More
In our afternoon reading: an excerpt from Neneh Cherry’s memoir, remembrances of influential writers, and more.
The Art of Absence: An Interview With Jody Hobbs Hesler
Jody Hobbs Hesler’s debut novel Without You Here tells of family love, complicated by circumstances, mental illness, and powerful, difficult emotional inheritance, exemplified by the profound connection between Noreen and her aunt, Nonie. Like the author’s acclaimed short story collection What Makes You Think You’re Supposed to Feel Better, the novel takes place in and around Charlottesville. Jody lives there, writing and teaching at WriterHouse. We first met at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and caught up this time by phone.
Morning Bites: Gabino Iglesias on “Termush,” Juni Ba’s Latest, Bill Callahan Returns, and More
In our morning reading: Gabino Iglesias on dystopian history, a preview of Juni Ba’s next book, and more.
Afternoon Bites: Laura van den Berg Interviewed, Comics Writing, Adam Roberts’s Latest, and More
In our afternoon reading: an interview with Laura van den Berg, a fundraiser for Desert Island, and more.
Books of the Month: October 2024
What does your October reading list look like? Ours, it’s safe to say, covers a lot of ground. If you’re looking to see NYC through new eyes or revisit the work of an iconic filmmaker, we have you covered; if you’d prefer a trip into space or a jaunt into history, we have those angles covered as well. Read on for some literary recommendations to ease you into fall.