I felt the need to go back and revisit some of the books on this list I’ve been compiling since January 1st to see how these titles stood up since I spent the first six months of 2014 reading for work, and the second-half mostly for pleasure. What I came away with was the realization that I couldn’t think of another year where new literature brought me so much joy as much as 2014 did. Sure, I was reading a lot […]
Interviewed with Nell Zink and Maxwell Neely-Cohen, Erika Wurth on diversity in publishing, Warren Ellis on author-edited journals, and more.
Thoughts on new books from Nell Zink, Chloe Caldwell, and Kerry Howley; Diane Cook was interviewed about her new collection; new books are due out from Boss Fight Books; and more.
In our Monday morning reading: an excerpt from Denis Johnson’s new book, Alexander Chee on gender and reading, thoughts on Nell Zink’s debut and the new album from Iceage, and more.
Whether your taste in books runs towards pastoral meditations on uniquely American themes or surreal stories of bizarre crimes, October will have plenty to offer. Writers reveal stories of favorite bars and beloved tattoos; cult authors return with shifts in style; and first books leave a significant mark. The weather’s getting colder; thankfully, there’s plenty on this list to go along with the seasonal beverage and sweater of your choice.
Nell Zink’s The Wallcreeper sneaks up on you. What begins as the story of a married American couple living in Europe and wrestling with frustrated ambition gradually becomes something far stranger, a bleakly funny look at matrimony, obsession, and the loss of control. Whether examining the ways birdwatching can become a fixation or the rivalries between small European cities, Zink’s novel is unpredictably captivating. I reached out to her via email to learn more about the book’s origins, her own experience of Europe, translations, zines, […]
Reviewing John Darnielle’s new novel, Jen Doll on feminist fairy tales, David Mitchell on great Japanese novels, an excerpt from Nell Zink’s new novel, and more.