An Intoxicating Chronicle of Desire: On Edmund White’s “A Previous Life”

"A Previous Life"

A Previous Life is unlike anything Edmund White has written, In fact, for the first thirty pages or so, I was sure the work couldn’t be White’s. But then the hallmarks of his style emerged: the easy juggling of plotline intricacies, the multi-character interactions, the trademark allusions to world art, classical composers, opera – White could handily depose Ken Jennings on Jeopardy so vast is his knowledge of culture, politics, history.

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Afternoon Bites: Nathanael West’s Birthday, Rick Perlstein on Machine Politics, Titus Andronicus Live, and More

Nathanael West was born on this day in 1903. If you’d like to see Titus Andronicus play songs from their new album at your favorite north Brooklyn establishments, Pitchfork can help with that. Edmund White chatted with Giancarlo DiTrapano at Vice. Dean Robinson on America’s growing love of soccer. Bonus: cardboard Clint Dempsey. Rick Perlstein talks machine politics with the Chicago Reader. Jaded Punk provided some listening recommendations to Nerve. (In related news, that Mind Spiders song is really good.) Menachem […]

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Morning Bites: Dark Tower Movie, Sleepwalk With Me, Shtetl Food Carts in Williamsburg, and More

We are totally behind the Ashkenazi food carts of Brooklyn if they dance down Bedford singing “If I was a rich man,Yubby dibby dibby dibby dibby dibby dibby dum.” It looks like Stephen King’s The Dark Tower will begin shooting in 2013. Granta talks to Edmund White. Mike Birbiglia’s Sleepwalk With Me is going to be on the big screen. Vice talks to our favorite Russian punk band that has no records (that we know of…) out. Nope, Apple is not […]

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Volumizer: The Week in Books, 9/26 – 10/2

Posted by Nick Curley Having spent the last several months baffled as to where to go for a comprehensive but pocket-sized digest of the day’s tomes-of-the-moment, I decided to draft one myself.  I’ll keep this up weekly for as long as it continues to entertain me and prove no burden. All books are fair game, including those newly reprinted.  To drop a dime about your new release or someone else’s, send all useful info to nick@vol1brooklyn.com or via direct message […]

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