In our morning reading: thoughts on “Assorted Crisis Events,” good reading on soccer, and more.
Morning Bites: “Assorted Crisis Events” Reviewed, Not David Markson, Pondering Soccer, and More
Weekend Bites: Rachel Lyon Interviewed, NBCC Award Winners, Justin Taylor Fiction, and More
In our weekend reading: an interview with Rachel Lyon, new writing by Mike Nagel and Justin Taylor, and more.
William T. Vollmann: A Reader’s Guide
Taken as a whole, the works of William T. Vollman are frequently contradictory. He’s a writer drawn to the lives of outsiders who’s also written about some of the most essential and overarching subjects facing society; his bibliography encompasses both transgressive, unsettling writing and deeply accessible forays into historical and contemporary issues.
Separating Person From Persona: A Review of “Conversations with William T. Vollmann”
While Daniel Lukes and I faced a number of curious challenges as we worked on the project that ultimately became our 2015 William T. Vollmann: A Critical Companion, I found among the most vexing the disentanglement of the myth of William T. Vollmann from the reality of his achievement. Both are oversized, so much so that they can stagger belief. The critics who had done the most extensive earlier work on his oeuvre, the great Larry McCaffery and the late Michael Hemmingson, offered both supportive words and helpful insights. Their writings were not just useful critical signposts, but dear companions at a point when it seemed no one else was interested in grappling with the tremendously fertile, book-producing singularity that is William T. Vollmann.
Afternoon Bites: “Drumming” Revisited, Literary Florida, Assisting William T. Vollmann, Nick Cave Statue, and More
In our afternoon reading: revisiting a classic work by Steve Reich, exploring the literature of Florida, and more.
Morning Bites: Jesmyn Ward on “The Great Gatsby,” Sheila Heti Interviewed, William T. Vollmann, Rejected Book Covers, and More
In our morning reading: Jesmyn Ward revisited “The Great Gatsby,” interviews with Sheila Heti and William T. Vollmann, and more.
Afternoon Bites: William T. Vollmann Interviewed, Rebekah Frumkin, Nico Revisited, Rachel Lyon, and More
In our afternoon reading: an interview with William T. Vollmann, exploring the overlap between zines and technology, and much more.
Afternoon Bites: Lidia Yuknavich, Clarice Lispector Short Fiction, Alexandra Kleeman, William T. Vollmann’s Latest, and More
In our afternoon reading: new nonfiction from Lidia Yuknavitch, previously unpublished fiction from Clarice Lispector, Gabby Bess on race and riot grrrl, and much more.