In our afternoon reading: thoughts on Bora Chung’s new collection, an interview with Keith Buckley, and more.
VCO: Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Spending so much personal time with Evy-B has dulled some of his shine. I’m starting to realize the billionaire barista does not exist, at least not full time. And I can’t lie, my reverence may be dwindling.
What’s impressive is he doesn’t start making excuses of why he has a day job. It’s purely strategic, he needs it to fund his art career. Any stupid shame about jobs considered “beneath” is self-generated—as is all shame.
Morning Bites: Francis Spufford’s Latest, Tananarive Due on Publishing, Victor LaValle on Screen, and More
In our morning reading: thoughts on books by Francis Spufford and Lars Iyer, a conversation with Tananarive Due, and more.
Punk Rock Body Horror: On Alison Rumfitt’s “Brainwyrms”
One of the first books I read in 2023 was Alison Rumfitt’s novel Tell Me I’m Worthless. There’s a small subset of books I’m fond of that seem to follow a traditional narrative path, right up until the point that they don’t. Brian Evenson’s Last Days is one, as is Percival Everett’s Assumption. Rumfitt’s debut fits in here as well: it’s something of a haunted house story, but as the novel continues on towards its conclusion, it got weirder; Rumfitt moved away from the tropes of haunted house narratives to push towards something deeper and scarier about trauma and inheritance.
Afternoon Bites: Isaac Fitzgerald Nonfiction, Vijay Iyer’s Latest, Megan Nolan Excerpted, and More
In our afternoon reading: new writing from Isaac Fitzgerald, an excerpt from Megan Nolan’s latest, and more.
Books of the Month: February 2024
We’re not going to lie: we’re pretty excited for what February has in store for us, books-wise. (We’d even think this if one of our editors didn’t have a novel due out in the second month of 2024.) This month has it all: new books by longtime favorites, a terrific example of punk lit, and a thoughtful work on the state of labor to cap it all off. Here’s a glimpse of what we’re excited about circa now.
Morning Bites: Sarah Tomlinson on Writing, Donna Hemans Interviewed, Mary Halvorson’s Latest, and More
In our morning reading: interviews with Sarah Tomlinson and Donna Hemans, a review of Mary Halvorson’s new album, and more.
Afternoon Bites: Lucy Sante’s Memoir, Revisiting “Wake in Fright,” Claire Taylor Fiction, and More
In our afternoon reading: thoughts on Lucy Sante’s new book, fiction from Claire Taylor, and more.