Newly reissued by Penguin Classics, Ray Russell’s short novel The Case Against Satan is a stranger book than it first seems. It is, to an extent, the story of an exorcism–but as unsettling as the possibility of demonic activity in the narrative is, Russell’s telling also implicates bigotry and at least one patriarchal institution along the way. I talked with Laird Barron, who contributed a foreword to this new edition, about this novel and Russell’s literary legacy.
Morning Bites: Kate Christensen, Chelsea Hodson Interviewed, Americans in Paris, Talking “Girls,” and More
This morning: Flannery O’Connor’s birthday, Chelsea Hodson on her Inventory project, new writing from Kate Christensen, authors illustrated as their classical counterparts, and more.
Afternoon Bites: Eno and Television, Keith Gessen on Russia, Judge John Darnielle, Gothenberg Pop, and More
This afternoon: a deeper look at Television’s Brian Eno-recorded demos, new writing from Sasha Fletcher, John Darnielle makes with the book-judging, Keith Gessen on Russia’s recent history, Casey N. Cep on unplugging, and much more.
#tobyreads: Three Collections, From the Cerebral to the Horrific
And we’re back. Three collections this week: one memorable selection of essays on artists, one group of realistic stories of cultures intersecting, and one gripping dose of cosmic horror. Stating that I’m a fan of Janet Malcolm’s writing is not exactly a groundbreaking comment, I realize. I was eager to read her newly released nonfiction collection Forty-One False Starts in part because I’ve largely encountered her work at book length; reading more focused examples of her writing was definitely appealing.
Afternoon Bites: Flannery O’Connor, Musical Subways, Kevin Sampsell Excerpt, Nicola Griffith’s Playlist, and More
In our afternoon reading: an excerpt from Kevin Sampsell’s latest, thoughts on Flannery O’Connor, a Nicola Griffith playlist, musical subway turnstiles, the excess of album launch parties, and more.
#tobyreads: Seasonally Appropriate Reading
Yesterday was Halloween — and with that in mind, a lot of the reading I did in the week leading up to the holiday in question fell onto the supernaturally-charged side of things. Sometimes that led to ominous, terrifying work; at others, ghosts and hauntings took on a knowing, almost comic air. We’ll start with a trio of collections. I have no idea why Karen Russell’s Vampires in the Lemon Grove has been on my to-read shelf unread; the only reason I […]
Afternoon Bites: National Lampoon Revisited, Farewell Best Show, Laird Barron & Peter Straub, William Basinski Live, and More
Checking in with jazz musicians affected by Sandy; Laird Barron and Peter Straub hanging out; how we deal with bad reviews of art we like; and more.