I met Rebe Huntman last year when we were both in Ohio for the Youngstown Fall Literary Festival. In the months that followed, I read her debut memoir My Mother in Havana, about a fateful trip Huntman made to Cuba. Throughout the book, Huntman asks big questions about belief, mortality, and human connection; throw in an unconventional structure and you have a deeply compelling read. I spoke with Huntman about her book’s origin, her connection to Cuba, and how her experience in other creative fields informed her memoir.
Previewing a Graphic Novel Adaptation of “Parable of the Talents”
What does it take to adapt a classic novel by Octavia E. Butler into words and pictures? Damian Duffy and John Jennings did just that with their award-winning adaptation of her Parable of the Sower, and they’ve returned to that fictional setting with a new book — their adaptation of Butler’s Parable of the Talents, due out on April 22 from Abrams ComicArts. We’re thrilled to publish an excerpt from the book below.
Morning Bites: Karen Russell’s Latest, Notable Spring Books, and More
In our morning reading: thoughts on Karen Russell’s new book, unconventional campus novels, and more.
Afternoon Bites: Tunde Adebimpe on Music, Bill Fox Returns, Aliocha Coll’s Fiction, and More
In our afternoon reading: an interview with Tunde Adebimpe, thoughts on Aliocha Coll’s novel, and more.
Morning Bites: Sun Ra’s Compilation, Remembering Mario Vargas Llosa, Jonathan Ames Interviewed, and More
In our morning reading: thoughts on albums from Sun Ra and Lonnie Holley, an interview with Jonathan Ames, and more.
Sunday Stories: “Mommy’s Business”
Mommy’s Business
by Bob Johnson
Her mother was in danger of “crashing,” the doctor told Kat, if she didn’t haul herself out of bed and do her rehab. The old lady had broken a hip a month earlier, and her urinary tract infections—though they responded well enough to antibiotics—returned like clockwork the instant the meds stopped.
Weekend Bites: Interviewing Andrea Long Chu, PEN Literary Awards, John Sayles Talks Film, and More
In our weekend reading: interviews with Andrea Long Chu and John Sayles, Bon Iver’s notebook, and more.
Afternoon Bites: Michelle Zauner’s Recommendations, J Wortham Interviewed, Dan Nadel on R. Crumb, and More
In our afternoon reading: recommendations from Michelle Zauner, news of a book festival at Coney Island, and more.