In our afternoon reading: thoughts on Francis Spufford’s new book, writing from Tal Lavin, and more.
Afternoon Bites: Francis Spufford’s Latest, Franklin Park Reading Series, Vigdis Hjorth’s Fiction, and More
Six Ridiculous Questions: Erika Swyler
The guiding principle of Six Ridiculous Questions is that life is filled with ridiculousness. And questions. That only by giving in to these truths may we hope to slip the surly bonds of reality and attain the higher consciousness we all crave. (Eh, not really, but it sounded good there for a minute.) It’s just. Who knows? The ridiculousness and question bits, I guess. Why six? Assonance, baby, assonance.
1. Say you’re a zebra. Well, OK, say you’re an anthropomorphized zebra with the power of speech living in a world populated primarily by anthropomorphized zebras. Not all anthropomorphized zebras are created equal; nor, it seems, are they all the herd-focused equines we might imagine. Take you for example.
Morning Bites: Sara Levine’s Latest, Helen Garner’s Stories, Kim Fu’s Playlist, and More
In our morning reading: thoughts on books by Sara Levine and Helen Garner, an unexpected cult film is born, and more.
Sunday Stories: “Welcome to Greenville”
Welcome to Greenville
by Lisa Marie Zapata
I had the choice between a booty call or a literary salon. Carnal desire being a much more urgent calling than lively debate with university intelligesia, I walked to the NJ Transit light rail station, crossed the tracks, and took the lift up to a small neighborhood in the bordering town that sat on a hill—the Heights. I walked three additional blocks, unlocked the front door and removed my shoes before entering the apartment.
Weekend Bites: Melissa Faliveno on Writing, David Leo Rice Fiction, March Debut Books, and More
In our weekend reading: an interview with Melissa Faliveno, fiction by David Leo Rice, and more.
Afternoon Bites: Richard Hell’s Apartment, Tournament of Books Returns, Interviewing Glory Edim, and More
In our afternoon reading: inside Richard Hell’s home, musings on genre, and more.
A Look Inside the Folio Society’s New Edition of “Masters of the Air”
When Donald L. Miller’s Masters of the Air: How the Bomber Boys Broke Down the Nazi War Machine was first published, it was to plenty of critical acclaim. Writing in the New York Times, William Grimes noted that “Mr. Miller has a fluid way of moving from discussion of theory and tactics to the personal stories that give them human weight.”
Recommended Books: March 2026
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 […]