If you’re familiar with Laird Barron’s fiction, you probably have a good idea of the corner of horror that he’s made his own. It’s on the cosmic side of things, where visions and revenants expand minds and drive those who witness them away from sanity; but it’s also laced with nuanced characters and a lived-in approach that seems borrowed from the best that crime fiction has to offer. (An article by Adrian Van Young from 2013 on Barron’s work provides […]
Afternoon Bites: Samantha Hunt, Stephanie Danler Interviewed, Laird Barron, László Krasznahorkai’s Latest, and More
In our afternoon reading: interviews with Samantha Hunt and Clancy Martin, thoughts on new books from Laird Barron and László Krasznahorkai, and much more.
Afternoon Bites: Toni Sala Interviewed, Garth Greenwell’s Novel, Laird Barron Fiction, and More
In our afternoon reading: interviews with Toni Sala and M. Lamar, fiction from Kashana Cauley, a review of Garth Greenwell’s novel. and more.
Morning Bites: Hilton Als on David Bowie, Hannah Lew’s Recommendations, Laird Barron’s Latest, Helen McClory Interviewed, and More
In our morning reading: remembering David Bowie, an interview with Helen McClory, new fiction from Matthew Vollmer, and more.
Vol.1 Brooklyn’s December 2015 Books Preview
December is traditionally a slow month for new books, to be sure–but that doesn’t mean that it’s devoid of them entirely. In fact, some of the most singular works that have come onto our radar this year boast December release dates, from a politically charged memoir to tales of cosmic horror in the Eisenhower era to a trip through a surreal version of Russia. Read on for thoughts on some of the books we’re most excited about for this month.
Afternoon Bites: Ian Svenonius’s Latest, Morgan Parker, Luc Sante Interviewed, Laird Barron, and More
In our afternoon reading: thoughts on Ian Svenonius’s new book; interviews with Laird Barron, Morgan Parker, and Luc Sante; and more.
Terrors Supernatural and Psychological: Laird Barron on Ray Russell’s “The Case Against Satan”
Newly reissued by Penguin Classics, Ray Russell’s short novel The Case Against Satan is a stranger book than it first seems. It is, to an extent, the story of an exorcism–but as unsettling as the possibility of demonic activity in the narrative is, Russell’s telling also implicates bigotry and at least one patriarchal institution along the way. I talked with Laird Barron, who contributed a foreword to this new edition, about this novel and Russell’s literary legacy.
Morning Bites: Kate Christensen, Chelsea Hodson Interviewed, Americans in Paris, Talking “Girls,” and More
This morning: Flannery O’Connor’s birthday, Chelsea Hodson on her Inventory project, new writing from Kate Christensen, authors illustrated as their classical counterparts, and more.