Fiction

The Radical Afterlives of Theresa Hak Kyung Cha

The Radical Afterlives of Theresa Hak Kyung Cha The Radical Afterlives of Theresa Hak Kyung Cha

The South Korean–born author of Dictée was killed at 31. Four decades later, her landmark experimental novel is poised for wider rediscovery.

Aug 20, 2020 / Mayukh Sen

For Ottessa Moshfegh, Novel Writing Is a Spiritual Experience

For Ottessa Moshfegh, Novel Writing Is a Spiritual Experience For Ottessa Moshfegh, Novel Writing Is a Spiritual Experience

We talked to the writer about how she composes her books and how she gets into the minds of her characters. 

Aug 6, 2020 / Q&A / Rosemarie Ho

The Tangle of Desire and Class in ‘Normal People’

The Tangle of Desire and Class in ‘Normal People’ The Tangle of Desire and Class in ‘Normal People’

The television adaptation of the Sally Rooney novel depicts how people can fall in love in a world structured by power.

Jul 28, 2020 / Books & the Arts / Erin Schwartz

J.M. Coetzee’s States of Exile

J.M. Coetzee’s States of Exile J.M. Coetzee’s States of Exile

In writing an allegory that is barely an allegory and a trilogy of novels that are often not novels, Coetzee appears to have made his own literary displacement total. 

Jul 14, 2020 / Books & the Arts / Siddhartha Deb

Not Catharsis but Vengeance: The Startling Fiction of Fernanda Melchor

Not Catharsis but Vengeance: The Startling Fiction of Fernanda Melchor Not Catharsis but Vengeance: The Startling Fiction of Fernanda Melchor

Her novel Hurricane Season burrows into the circumstances of a small-town murder and what it says about a society that disregards femicide.

Jul 9, 2020 / Books & the Arts / Lucas Iberico Lozada

Maria Reva’s Mordant and Profound Fiction

Maria Reva’s Mordant and Profound Fiction Maria Reva’s Mordant and Profound Fiction

In her short story collection, Good Citizens Need Not Fear, Reva documents the chaos, joy, and serendipity of life before and after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Jun 29, 2020 / Books & the Arts / Jennifer Wilson

Between Mystery and Social Democracy: A Journey Through Scandinavian Crime Novels

Between Mystery and Social Democracy: A Journey Through Scandinavian Crime Novels Between Mystery and Social Democracy: A Journey Through Scandinavian Crime Novels

We talked to Wendy Lesser about her new book Scandinavian Noir: In Pursuit of a Mystery and just why this regional genre continues to strike a chord.  

Jun 24, 2020 / Q&A / Rachel Monroe

Mary Gaitskill’s Art of Loneliness

Mary Gaitskill’s Art of Loneliness Mary Gaitskill’s Art of Loneliness

Through her portraits of solitude, Gaitskill forces us to recognize those moments of subtle connection.

May 5, 2020 / Books & the Arts / Maggie Doherty

A balloon depicting Donald Trump in a diaper flies over those rallying at the 2020 Women's March in Los Angeles

Describing Trump Strains the Imagination Describing Trump Strains the Imagination

Accurately reporting on the White House requires the kind of language that journalists do not generally allow themselves.

Apr 16, 2020 / Column / Eric Alterman

A woman wears a face mask during a protest in Chile

Confronting the Pandemic in a Time of Revolt: Voices From Chile Confronting the Pandemic in a Time of Revolt: Voices From Chile

Surviving the coronavirus will be meaningless if Chileans do not simultaneously address the underlying causes of injustice and inequality.

Apr 6, 2020 / Ariel Dorfman

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