From almost the very start of its 10-year journey, the Los Angeles Review of Books has been accompanied by its free-wheeling sidecar of a blog, BLARB. But it was only in 2016, under the leadership of its first dedicated editor, the multitalented Ellie Duke, that BLARB came into its own as a venue for thoughtful, innovative, heartfelt, and headstrong pieces on every subject under the sun. In 2019, Ellie handed over the reins to the marvelous Tyler Huxtable, and BLARB continued its progress from strength to strength. But all good things must come to an end, and with the redesign of the LARB site and the revamping of our Short Takes section, we have decided to retire BLARB — though its legacy and its archive will remain alive and integral to LARB’s identity. And Ellie’s and Tyler’s colleagues, contributors, and readers will remain forever grateful for what they have built! Below are 10 recent pieces highlighting the scope of that achievement.
— LARB Editorial
1. “Heterosexuality Without Women” by Greta LaFleur
2. “‘Beware Flatterers’ Is Old Advice for a New Age of Impunity” by Cynthia Nazarian
3. “Their Understanding of Who We Are: Talking to Dipayan Ghosh” by Andy Fitch
4. “The Forum We Can’t Escape” by An Xiao Mina
5. “Everything Turns to ASMR in Korea” by Colin Marshall
6. “Privacy is Doomed. What’s New?” by Firmin DeBrabander
7. “La Llorona Reimagines Justice for Guatemala” by Alisa Bohling
8. “Smashing Statues, Building Community” by Erin L. Thompson
9. “The Nonbinary 19th Century” by Rachel Mesch
10. “Profits of Order” by Hollis Robbins