In our morning reading: an interview with Anita Felicelli, Blake Butler on book events, and more.
Afternoon Bites: Marlon James on TV, Dan Kois’s Latest, Jersey Devil Poetry, and More
In our afternoon reading: exploring Marlon James’s new TV show, the Jersey Devil in poetry form, and more.
Constant Delirium: Reading Jean-Pierre Martinet’s “With Their Hearts In Their Boots”
Credit where credit is due: I picked up Jean-Pierre Martinet’s With Their Hearts In Their Boots (translated by Alex Andriesse) in no small part due to the fact that its introduction was by William Boyle. Boyle’s cultural recommendations, whether literary or cinematic, are often spot-on, and reading his description of this “[h]hard-boiled, funny, dangerous” short novel piqued my interest for what was to follow.
Morning Bites: Revisiting Scott McClanahan, Bhanu Kapil on Poetry, Karl Kesel on Comics, and More
In our morning reading: thoughts on a reissued book by Scott McClanahan, interviews with Bhanu Kapil and Karl Kesel, and more.
Sunday Stories: “Cheesequake”
Cheesequake
by Joel Henry Little
Seated alone in the back of Grace’s dad’s hatchback, Stella kept her chapped fingers curled beneath the hem of her skirt on the off chance June or Kara should catch a glimpse in the reflections that flickered across the dusty rear windows. She didn’t mind it like this, facing the wrong way while the cracked parkway and the charred trees and the low gray hills blistering up from behind the endless gray distribution centers unfurled before her like the conveyor belt of the world. She didn’t mind being alone in the other girls’ company while they blathered on about defunct sororities and the legendary wastrels of the class of ‘14 – there was nothing so unusual in it for her, being there and being apart. She didn’t like their company much anyway, though she hoped they wouldn’t say the same for her.
Weekend Bites: Tove Jansson’s Art, Literary Brooklyn, Mark Haber on Writing, and More
In our weekend reading: thoughts on Tove Jansson’s art, Mark Haber on writing, and more.
Afternoon Bites: Nicola Griffith’s Playlist, Gretchen Felker-Martin’s Latest, Vanessa Saunders on Writing, and More
In our afternoon reading: a playlist from Nicola Griffith, an interview with Vanessa Saunders, and more.
From Bereavement to Betterment: A Review of Charles Bock’s “I Will Do Better”
Charles Bock hails from Las Vegas. And it’s clear right from the opening pages of this memoir, that he’s been dealt a tough hand. He’s a reluctant father and working novelist, and his beloved wife Diane has just passed away from leukemia, leaving him to care for his three-year old daughter, Lily. And things will only get worse before you leave Chapter One. The book has a Sisyphean feel to it because nothing is ever easy in this story, except the clear, persistent love the writer has for his daughter. That drives the narrative and allows you to see struggle, self-doubt, and sacrifice as the essential journey we’re on with this family.