I don’t know why, as a secular Jew, I am fascinated with crises of faith, and with Catholicism in particular, but the topic is a lifelong preoccupation. In this light, I was eager to dive into Christopher Beha’s Why I am not An Atheist: The Confessions of a Skeptical Believer.
In our morning reading: onscreen adaptations of “Wuthering Heights,” a Talk Talk album turns 40, and more.
The Quiet Fire
by L.F. Graubard
Eva left without a goodbye. That’s how the Narco Farm did it—people vanished between counts. One day you’re brushing your teeth together, next day her bunk’s stripped and the smell of her lotion is the only thing that makes sense.
In our weekend reading: talking adaptation with Orhan Pamuk, an interview with Lana Lin, and more.
In our afternoon reading: an interview with T Kira Madden, why book reviews matter, and more.
Darius Jones sits alone on stage minutes before tonight’s show at the Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center in Poughkeepsie, calmly detonating blasts from his alto saxophone, two-to-three second streaks booming across the theater and fading to a moment’s silence just in time for the next one. They’re foghorn loud, piercing, but they seem like more than mere warm up exercises. Perhaps he’s testing the structural integrity of the joint and/or mapping the room’s acoustics—gauging the capabilities of tonight’s worksite and the best ways to utilize them.
Is it still snowy outside your door? Despite slightly non-polar weather the last few days, the snowdrifts remain high and the puddles are murky. Also, we have some literary recommendations for you this month: a wide range of books, from a deep dive into a Nobel laureate’s work to an unexpected work of autofiction.
In our morning reading: a deep dive on “From Hell,” a preview of Grace Krilanovich’s next book, and more.