In our weekend reading: new work by Kristen Radtke and Heidi Julavits, an interview with Esmé Weijun Wang, and more.
Weekend Bites: Politics & History, Rosie Schaap Nonfiction, Esmé Weijun Wang, Write A House News, and More
In our weekend reading: writing from Rosie Schaap, Kate Axelrod, and Esmé Weijun Wang; and much more.
A Year of Favorites: Tobias Carroll
I always get something wrong in these. There’s generally one book that I utterly forget to include, remember two days later, and curse myself for leaving out. And this year, I’m throwing in some thoughts on music, so that should offer even more opportunities for retrospective regret. I’m getting in just under the wire with this one, yes indeed.
Afternoon Bites: Shirley Jackson, Stephen King and Pop Culture, Esmé Weijun Wang Nonfiction, and More
In our afternoon reading: a look at the writings of Shirley Jackson, the influence of Stephen King on pop culture, new nonfiction from Esmé Weijun Wang and Michael Chabon, and more.
Mid-Year 2016: The Year’s Best Fiction (So Far)
Putting together this list of standout fiction published so far this year wasn’t an easy task, mostly because it could just as easily have been twice as long. It’s been a very good year for fiction, whether your tastes head more towards classical storytelling, or narrative innovation, or incisive societal observations. What follows is a list of some of the books published in the first half of 2016 that have impressed us the most.
Morning Bites: Esmé Weijun Wang, Yuri Herrera Interviewed, Betty Davis, Jim Ruland Nonfiction, and More
In our morning reading: book news from Esmé Weijun Wang, nonfiction from Jim Ruland, an interview with Yuri Herrera, and more.
Morning Bites: Adapting “Alias Grace,” Mitski’s Latest, Kevin Maloney’s Desk, Walter Mosley, and More
In our morning reading: news of a Margaret Atwood adaptation, Lincoln Michel on fictional towns, new writing from Esmé Weijun Wang, and more.
“I’m a Discoverer, Not a Planner”: An Interview With Esmé Weijun Wang
Esmé Weijun Wang‘s novel The Border of Paradise begins in familiar territory and rapidly ventures into the uncharted. It opens with the story of David Nowak, the scion of a prosperous Polish-American family in post-World War II Brooklyn struggling with conflicts familial and internal–but soon the narrative expands to include the stories of others, including his wife Jia-Hui and their children. The plot gradually shifts into bleaker and stranger places, and the result is a novel that pushes past the tropes of traditional stories to arrive at something more unpredictable and revelatory. I spoke with Wang to learn more about the novel’s structure, its evolution over time, and its inventive use of language.