In our afternoon reading: new writing by Colin Dickey, the return of Orchid, and more.
Six Ridiculous Questions: William Brandon III
The guiding principle of Six Ridiculous Questions is that life is filled with ridiculousness. And questions. That only by giving in to these truths may we hope to slip the surly bonds of reality and attain the higher consciousness we all crave. (Eh, not really, but it sounded good there for a minute.) It’s just. Who knows? The ridiculousness and question bits, I guess. Why six? Assonance, baby, assonance.
Morning Bites: Helen Garner’s Fiction, Revisiting Herman Melville, Dorothe Nors’s Latest, and More
In our morning reading: reviews of books by Helen Garner and Dorothe Nors, an interview with Jason Pargin, and more.
Afternoon Bites: Revisiting Percival Everett, Interviewing Eskor David Johnson, Translating Michele Mari, and More
In our afternoon reading: revisiting the works of Percival Everett, thoughts on a Chris Forsyth album, and more.
Books of the Month: December 2023
And now it’s December. What does December bring, in literary terms? An interesting array of books, representing a disparate array of styles and approaches to the craft of writing. Do you like short stories? We’ve got you covered. Do you enjoy poetry? There’s some poetry here, too. Throw some literary translations into the mix and you have a solid month for reading — with what might be your next favorite book as this year draws to a close.
Morning Bites: Jenn Shapland on Reading, Richard John Parfitt’s Latest, Frederick Wiseman on Filmmaking, and More
In our morning reading: Jenn Shapland on books, notable 2023 collections, and more.
Sunday Stories: “Night Plane”
Night Plane
by Ian S. Maloney
Dad woke me from a deep slumber. The call came in at 2:50 am. My head was covered in my Star Wars sheets. I was seven years old, living in Marine Park, Brooklyn and tagging along with my dad, Jimmy “Bugs.” His footsteps creaked across the parquet floors upstairs and a light tap followed on my bedroom door.
“Buddy, up for an adventure for a few bucks?”
Weekend Bites: Remembering Shane MacGowan, 2023’s Best Poetry, Jonathan Lethem’s Latest, and More
In our weekend reading: Tariq Goddard on Shane MacGowan, notable poetry from 2023, and more.