In our morning reading: new books by Dubravka Ugrešić and Alan Moore, a trio of cover reveals, and more.
Afternoon Bites: Joshua Mohr on Writing, Hearing Things Debuts, Vinson Cunningham on Beauty, and More
In our afternoon reading: interviews with Joshua Mohr and Vinson Cunningham, a new music publication debuts, and more.
Does the Earth Apologize for Taking Up Space?: Poet Tracy Dimond Speaks on Her Debut Collection
Poet Tracy Dimond’s debut collection Emotion Industry reads like an array of your funniest friend’s deepest divulgences, purged all at once in the corner booth of a bar–every word long-overdue. What comes out is the wryest examination of the outward through the inward–of pop culture through the lens of undiagnosed chronic illness, of feminine rage through a well-honed sense of humor. And vice versa. And vice versa again…
Morning Bites: Björk’s Book, Jami Attenberg on Writing, Olga Tokarczuk’s Latest, and More
In our morning reading: a book from Björk, interviews with Jami Attenberg and Robert Kloss, and more.
Sunday Stories: “The Screaming Boat”
The Screaming Boat
by Alexandra Dos Santos
Screams went by like a smear in the night. They coasted the East River, that green mirror reflecting skyscrapers that looked like hanged corpses in the water. Scruff sat on the Astoria Park rocks alone, as she always was, watching the machines churn up waves. She’d sit and watch water taxis shuttle quiet shadows after dark, and booze cruise flash LED lights to a steady dance bass. But Scruff never heard a boat scream before, especially from a boat this far away. It drew closer and louder. It wasn’t the roar of a rowdy party; their voices twisted backwards and sideways, locking together into a writhing behemoth. Scruff could almost see it before her eyes—that sound made manifest. But then it went away, and she just saw the boat. In front of her, finally clear, she recognized it.
Weekend Bites: Keith Rosson’s Playlist, ABC No Rio’s History, The Necks on Music, and More
In our weekend reading: a playlist from Keith Rosson, talking music with The Necks, and more.
Afternoon Bites: Souled American’s Return, Brian Evenson’s Latest, Sam Amidon Interviewed, and More
In our afternoon reading: the return of Souled American, an interview with Sam Amidon, and more.
Kristopher Jansma On Memory, Trauma, and the Making of “Our Narrow Hiding Places”
I’ve long been an admirer of Kristopher Jansma’s fiction and the way it blends an empathic view of the world with an abundance of stylistic verve. His new novel Our Narrow Hiding Places explores the complicated history of one family, beginning with the Nazi occupation of Holland and continuing on to the present day. (As an added bonus, Jansma and I grew up in adjoining New Jersey towns.) I spoke with him about his new book’s evolution, the real-life history he drew from when writing it, and his forthcoming nonfiction book Revisionaries.