To read Death and Exes, the new collection of poetry from Sarah Bridgins, is to grapple with emotions that don’t often come in such close proximity. As its title suggests, the poems within wrangle with questions of mortality and relationships, but they also abound with unlikely pop culture references and dizzying shifts in mood. I spoke with Bridgins to learn more about the collection’s origins and to zero in on some of the imagery that she uses in her work.
We’re going to go with “esoteric” as our lead description of October’s literary offerings. From transformative poetry to literary history to innovative fiction, we have a number of bases covered here. The weather might be taking a turn for the autumnal, but these ten books are worthy reading in all seasons.
In our afternoon reading: an interview with Elvia Wilk, notable books in translation, and more.
In our weekend reading: a report from Toni Morrison’s memorial, interviews with Kathleen Hanna and Leland Cheuk, and more.
In our weekend reading: thoughts on Amber Sparks’s forthcoming collection, interviews with Bernardine Evaristo and Jonathan Lethem, and more.
In our morning reading: a playlist from Mimi Lok, nonfiction from Lincoln Michel, and more.
In our morning reading: new writing by Elle Nash and Sarah Bridgins, an excerpt from Morgan Parker’s new book, and more.
In our afternoon reading: an interview with Warren Ellis, new writing from Kristine Ong Muslim and Sarah Bridgins, and more.