So I sat down with Charlene Elsby‘s Poor Damned Souls one evening and found myself reading a book about a relationship about to collapse. That quickly turned into something much bleaker, which evolved into a scenario that left me wondering how much worse things could get. It’s transgressive fiction at its best, and I chatted with Elsby to learn more about this book’s genesis.
In our afternoon reading: revisiting Ishmael Reed’s work on screen, Paul Elie on nonfiction, and more.
Hello, it’s March, and we’re in Baltimore for AWP. But just because we’re in the city that brought us Double Dagger and Lungfish doesn’t mean we’re not keeping an eye on this month’s books. And so here’s this month’s list of book recommendations, encompassing everything from historical horrors to an insider’s guide to the Midwest. Albertine Clarke, The Body Builders(Mar. 3, Bloomsbury) At what point does the idea of fitness and wellness take a shift into the surreal? This new […]
In our afternoon reading: interviews with Torrey Peters and Blake Butler, Jeff Tweedy on lyrics, and more.
In our morning reading: an excerpt from Rax King’s essay collection, a review of Louise Erdrich’s new novel, and more.
Charlene Elsby has a Ph.D. in Philosophy from McMaster University and was recently a tenure-track professor. Her first and second novels, Hexis (Clash) and Affect (The Porcupine’s Quill), were published in 2020.<