In our morning reading: revisiting books by queer and trans writers, thoughts on the state of criticism, and more.
Morning Bites: Revisiting Queer Books, Bill Orcutt’s Latest, Nebula Award Finalists, and More
Sunday Stories: “How Everything In This World Works”
How Everything in This World Works
by Claire W. Zhang
I’m a dealer now. From $10 disposable e-cigs to $12,000 Hermès handbags, I deal everything. I’m technically a broker-dealer – a piece of information I obtained from a kind economist on Quora – because I sometimes require a deposit for bigger transactions, but it’s not like anyone’s from Wall Street here so no one cares. I still call myself a dealer, though. It sounds cool, like a drug dealer – dangerous. Although the only “drugs” I’ve dealt so far are 20 tabs of acid (pink dancing bear) and three and a half total ounces of weed (ice cream cake, indica). This is a growing business. I don’t have that many customers.
Weekend Bites: Kim Gordon’s Latest, Movies and Anxiety, Revisiting “The Doors,” and More
In our weekend reading: thoughts on Kim Gordon’s new album, the genesis of a memoir, and more.
Epigraph Reveal: Candice Wuehle’s “Ultranatural”
On April 14, the University of Iowa Press is set to publish Candice Wuehle’s novel Ultranatural. Today, we’re pleased to share the book’s epigraph, which combines two unlikely texts:
Jeff Jackson on the Evolution of Julian Calendar
I’ve known writer Jeff Jackson for quite a while now, and one of the pleasures of that has been seeing his creative endeavors expand. To wit: the work that he and his collaborators in the band Julian Calendar have released in recent years: haunting post-punk with an expansive set of influences and a penchant for deconstruction. I spoke with Jackson about the group’s new album Speaking a Dead Language and their evolution since 2020.
Morning Bites: Karan Mahajan’s Latest, Andrew Martin on Writing, Revisiting Terry Pratchett, and More
In our morning reading: thoughts on Karan Mahajan’s new novel, Andrew Martin on writing, and more.
Afternoon Bites: Hannah Lillith Assadi’s Fiction, Republic of Consciousness Prize Winner, and More
In our afternoon reading: thoughts on Hannah Lillith Assadi’s new novel, the language of war, and more.
The Return of “Weird Tales” — In Graphic Novel Form
If you’ve ever enmeshed yourself in the history of uncanny fiction, you’re probably familiar with the name Weird Tales. This magazine has a special place in the annals of fantasy and horror fiction; now, a new graphic novel features some classic stories from the original magazine adapted into words and pictures.