New writing from Emma Straub and Scott Cheshire, an interview with Megan Stielstra, a story from Nina McConigley, musicians talk stagediving, and more.
Morning Bites: Marie-Helene Bertino Recommends Books, Scott Cheshire Interviewed, Cult of Youth, Matthew Gavin Frank on Elk, and More
Wishing Ann Beattie a happy birthday, Scott Cheshire was interviewed by Phil Klay, new writing from Matthew Gavin Frank, book recommendations from Marie-Helene Bertino, and more.
Afternoon Bites: Scott Cheshire on Plotlessness, Patricia Lockwood Interviewed, “A Young Doctor’s Notebook,” Books About Space, and More
New writing from Scott Cheshire, interviews with Patricia Lockwood and Catherine Lacey, new music from Dustin Wong and Takako Minekawa, books about space, and much more.
Morning Bites: Paula Bomer, Alexander Chee on “The Magician’s Land,” Maria Bamford, Samuel Beckett Celebrated, and More
New writing from Paula Bomer, Alexander Chee on Lev Grossman’s latest, talking with Maria Bamford, notes on Lewis, and more.
Afternoon Bites: Lauren Groff on Mermaids, Michel Gondry Interviewed, Christopher Beha’s Latest, Jim Ruland, and More
New writing from Lauren Groff, thoughts on new books from Jim Ruland and Christopher Beha, interviews with Scott Cheshire and Michel Gondry, and more.
Lucidity, Faith, and Generations: A Review of Scott Cheshire’s “High As the Horses’ Bridles”
High As the Horses’ Bridles by Scott Cheshire Henry Holt & Co.; 320 p. “They sit” begins Scott Cheshire’s remarkable debut, High As the Horses’ Bridles, a curt, evocative line that summons us to a 1980 Richmond Hill church where the young, prophetic twelve-year-old Josiah Laudermilk is about to give a sermon to a crowd of thousands. Laudermilk is, like his father and mother and the worshippers amassed there, part of a sect of Jehovah Witnesses that believes the world […]
“The Urge Towards Making Meaning”: A Conversation with Scott Cheshire, Part Two
In the first part of my conversation with High as the Horses’ Bridles author Scott Cheshire, we discussed his novel’s origins and his process for writing it. In the second half, we delve more into the novel’s use of theology, the ordering of its world, and the ways in which religion can shape language.
Religious History and “Distorted Takes on Genre”: A Conversation with Scott Cheshire, Part One
I first met Scott Cheshire at an Electric Literature event in the winter; not long after that, I worked on a piece for the Tottenville Review, where he’s a contributing editor. Soon after that, I read his debut novel, High as the Horses’ Bridles. It’s a bold novel, abounding with contrasts: Cheshire is equally at home writing scenes of domestic conflict and theological debate; Queens and southern California are evoked in equal measures. There’s plenty to ponder here: long discussions of family, […]