In our weekend reading: an interview with Jimin Han, thoughts on Jesmyn Ward’s essay collection, and more.
We’re taking the holiday weekend off; normal posting will resume Tuesday.
Following an East Coast screening tour at independent bookstores, the pilot episode of new comedy sitcom Broadway Books was released in conjunction with National Bookseller Day last month. A charming alternative to the traditional film festival circuit, the literary-based television series is advertised both as a handmade antidote to the looming technocratic sprawl as well as a love letter to neighborhood bookstores everywhere. A former employee of the Upper West Side’s Book Culture — where the pilot was filmed on location — the series was created and directed by Carianne King and developed during a pilot writing class at the Upright Citizens Brigade. Originally a self-funded pandemic project, Carianne’s collaborative UCB experiences pushed the endeavor forward. In addition to King, the show’s skillful female creative production team comes courtesy of visual production company Mirmade.
In our morning reading: new writing by Claire Hopple and Marcy Dermansky, an interview with Jeff Parker, and more.
In our afternoon reading: reviews of books by Barry Walters and Patrick Cottrell, an interview with Ray Nayler, and more.
Searching for Kishke King
by Karen Resta
Manhattan was the starting point for my search. Kishke isn’t easy to find, but I’d checked ahead and knew this place was one of the last Jewish delis that served it. One might call kishke an exclusive item, in a sense. Hard to find. Niche. Was it a luxury item? I’d soon find out.
You might know writer Mark Russell‘s comics work through his Second Coming, which riffs on both divinity and superheroes; or through his reimagining of The Flintstones for DC Comics. His latest book, The Forgotten Divine, is a collaboration with artist Russ Braun, and tells the story of Rodney, a traumatized veteran who begins having visions of another world.
In our morning reading: thoughts on a new Nicola Griffith book, a report from the C2C Festival, and more.
I Went to Paris Because I’m a Writer Now
by Kobi Ansong
My phone buzzes. A text from the homie: Ay bruh, you in Paris reading books? lmao
I wander over footbridges and cobblestone streets.There’s perpetual cigarette aroma, but you don’t mind it. I read Ernest Hemingway’s memoir, Moveable Feast, about his misadventures bumming around the City of Light, getting drunk with Picasso and F. Scott Fitzgerald, and that was enough for me.