In our morning reading: thoughts on a Michael Cisco novel, revisiting albums by Raekwon and Shudder to Think, and more.
Afternoon Bites: Stephanie Wambugu on Writing, Michael Cisco’s Latest, Sebastian Castillo’s Playlist, and More
In our afternoon reading: an interview with Stephanie Wambugu, a playlist from Sebastian Castillo, and more.
Recommended Books: July 2025
According to the weather apps, the world outside of our window feels like 108 degrees with a severe thunderstorm warning also on the horizon. If ever there was a time to find somewhere air-conditioned and crack open a book, we’re pretty sure this is it. Our recommended books for the month of July include a couple of names that will be familiar to longtime Vol. 1 Brooklyn readers, along with some intriguing forays into subjects ranging from Kafka to tradwives.
Morning Bites: Lynne Tillman and Taylor Lewandowski, Michael Cisco’s Recommendations, Ursula Villarreal-Moura Interviewed, and More
In our morning reading: an interview about an interview, revisiting Sleater-Kinney’s music, and more.
Weekend Bites: Revisiting “Carrie & Lowell,” Table of the Elements Returns, Michael Cisco’s Latest, and More
In our weekend reading: nonfiction from Jayson Greene and Tara Isabella Burton, thoughts on Michael Cisco’s new novel, and more.
Afternoon Bites: Michael Cisco Fiction, AWP Prize Winners, Lindsay Hunter’s Latest, and More
In our afternoon reading: fiction by Michael Cisco and Lindsay Hunter, an interview with John Carpenter, and more.
The Secret Life of a Yak, With Demons: On Michael Cisco’s “Pest”
Two seemingly contradictory things can be true at the same time, and it is in the spirit of that timeless adage that I will make the next two sentences. Michael Cisco’s novel Pest is about a man who is also a yak, and Michael Cisco’s novel Pest is one of the more accessible works in the bibliography of one of the nation’s most singular writers of full-bore Weird fiction.
Recommended Books: March 2023 Edition
Well, it’s March. Seasonal adjustments and clock adjustments, all in the same month. And hey, there are some books due out this month, too! We’ve got our eye on a few new titles in translation, along with some new books on indie presses we like by writers we like. Maybe one of these books will change the way you see the world this month.