To say a novel is one of the best in its genre and the absolute best in its subgenre is high praise. However, to say that a novel adds so much to the canon of its genre and subgenre that it becomes that statistical impossibility known as an instant classic is something a reviewer, at least an honest, lucky one, probably gets to write only a handful of times in his or her career. In the case of Stephen Graham […]
Afternoon Bites: Margaret Wappler, Stephen Graham Jones Interviewed, Inside Trans-Pecos, Ted Chiang, and More
In our afternoon reading: thoughts on Margaret Wappler’s new novel, interviews with Ted Chiang and Stephen Graham Jones, and more.
Afternoon Bites: Betty Davis, Adam Gnade Interviewed, Mark de Silva, Allison Amend’s Latest, and More
In our afternoon reading: a new reissue from Betty Davis, interviews with Adam Gnade and Mark de Silva, and more.
Afternoon Bites: Olivia Laing Nonfiction, Wendy C. Ortiz Poetry, Stephen Graham Jones, and More
In our afternoon reading: new writing from Olivia Laing and Wendy C. Ortiz, interviews with Ben Watt and Stephen Graham Jones, and more.
Morning Bites: Evie Wyld Interviewed, Nikesh Shukla, Rufi Thorpe, Geoff Dyer on Literary Inspiration, and More
In our morning reading: interviews with Rufi Thorpe and Evie Wyld, Hilton Als on Beyoncé, and much more.
Morning Bites: Michael DeForge, Teju Cole Interviewed, “No Cities to Love” Reviewed, Roth on Film, and More
In our morning reading: interviews with Teju Cole and Stephen Graham Jones, notes on Michael DeForge’s new comic, a new Philip Roth adaptation is reviewed, Jenn Pelly on Sleater-Kinney’s latest, and more.
Morning Bites: No Wave Photos, Roxane Gay Interviewed, Denis Johnson’s Influence, Stephen Graham Jones, and More
This morning: No Wave photos from Catherine Ceresole, Denis Johnson’s literary influence, Roxane Gay on her new novel, Bill Knott remembered, and more.
#tobyreads: When Genres Collide
This week, I had the pleasure of reading four novels — three recent, one older — in which styles and genres that one might not expect to collide are brought together. Sometimes this is ornately constructed; for others, the approach seems to have been to place disparate elements in close proximity and see what emerges.