In our morning reading: interviews with Alexis M. Smith and Edan Lepucki, book recommendations from Babak Lakghomi, and more.
Books of the Month: August 2023
And now it’s August. If my highly unscientific surveying of release dates and similar information is any indication, this month brings with it a very surreal array of books — including a lot of anthologies, some nicely surreal fiction, and some fascinating spins on classical mythology. What follows is a look at 11 books due out in August that we’re excited about. Maybe you will be, too.
Morning Bites: Jimin Han’s Latest, Interviewing So Mayer, Steven Millhauser on Writing, and More
In our morning reading: thoughts on Jimin Han’s new book, an interview with Steven Millhauser, and more.
Edan Lepucki’s “Time’s Mouth” Affirms that Not Even Time Travel Can Make You a Perfect Mother
Time travel usually comes with the dilemma of whether messing with the past is worth it. It assumes you’ll have the power to change what’s already happened. But what if all you could do is witness the life you used to have? This is the time-construct Edan Lepucki built for her latest novel Time’s Mouth—where the most relatable consequence is at stake: the life you miss out on when you ignore the present.
Afternoon Bites: Edan Lepucki Interviewed, Revisiting 2000s NYC, Translation Awards, and More
In our afternoon reading: an interview with Edan Lepucki, an excerpt from Gerda Saunders’s new book, and much more.
Weekend Bites: P.S. Eliot, Morgan Parker’s Poetry, Alexander Chee’s Nonfiction, Edan Lepucki, and More
In our weekend reading: the history of P.S. Eliot, new writing from Morgan Parker and Alexander Chee, and more.
Afternoon Bites: Ta-Nehisi Coates Interviewed, Matt Bell on Video Games, Barbara Lynn, Likability in Fiction, and More
In our afternoon reading: interviews with Ta-Nehisi Coates, Atticus Lish, and Matt Bell; a tribute to Death by Audio; notes on likability in fiction; feminism and dance moves; and more.
Morning Bites: Chris Ofili, A “Pen & Ink” Excerpt, David Cronenberg Interviewed, Wendy C. Ortiz, and More
Chris Ofili talked with Calvin Tomkins, Nobel Prize odds for writers, an excerpt from Pen & Ink, talking books with David Cronenberg, Brooklyn Book Festival attendees, and more.