Fiction

"Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities. Truth isn't." — Mark Twain

His Own “Final Thing”: On Varlam Shalamov’s “Kolyma Stories”
Patrick Kurp on the artfully rendered accounts of suffering in “Kolyma Stories” by Varlam Shalamov, translated by Donald Rayfield.
Patrick KurpOct 29, 2018
- Around the World
- Fiction
Content in Plato’s Cave: Ersi Sotiropoulos’s “What’s Left of the Night”
In "What’s Left of the Night," Ersi Sotiropoulos excavates the origin of this irony in the early years of C. P. Cavafy’s poetic awakening.
Niko MaragosOct 26, 2018
Chosen Family: Stephanie Burt and Chelsey Johnson Discuss “Stray City”
Stephanie Burt interviews Chelsey Johnson about her new novel, “Stray City.”
Stephanie BurtOct 25, 2018
- Fiction
Art and Enchantment in Haruki Murakami’s “Killing Commendatore”
For Randy Rosenthal, reading Haruki Murakami’s “Killing Commendatore” is like exploring underground caverns “enormous and deep and lovely.”
Randy RosenthalOct 23, 2018
- Around the World
- Fiction
It Just Made Perfect Sense: Dorothy, a Publishing Project
Danielle Dutton and Martin Riker’s Dorothy, a Publishing Project is a small feminist press that isn’t stopping anytime soon.
Nathan Scott McNamaraOct 22, 2018
- Fiction
The Devils of Our Better Nature: On Dennis Cooper and His New Film
“Permanent Green Light” is the demonic author’s most innocent work.
Daniel FelsenthalOct 19, 2018
A Polish Snow Globe: On Adam Mickiewicz’s “Pan Tadeusz: The Last Foray in Lithuania”
Josh Billings revels in Bill Johnston’s “meticulous” translation of “Pan Tadeusz: The Last Foray in Lithuania” by the great Polish poet Adam Mickiewicz.
Josh BillingsOct 16, 2018
In the In-Between: Identity, Place, and Nuance in Anita Felicelli’s “Love Songs for a Lost Continent”
"Love Songs for a Lost Continent" by Anita Felicelli, her debut short story collection, is a marvel of nuance, with each story complicating the narrative.
Ilana MasadOct 15, 2018
- Fiction
Taking Responsibility: An Interview with Sarah Schulman
Carley Moore speaks with Sarah Schulman about “Maggie Terry,” Schulman’s new novel about an addict and mother struggling to get her life back together.
Carley MooreOct 14, 2018
- Fiction
- Gender & Sexuality
Look Again! A Conversation with Irish Artist-Novelist Sara Baume
Amy E. Elkins talks with artist-novelist Sara Baume about cross-media inspiration, scratch-made art, and miniaturization on the page.
Amy E. ElkinsOct 12, 2018
Sexual Abuse and Critical Abuse: On Christian Kracht’s “The Dead”
Jan Wilm considers Christian Kracht's latest novel to be translated into English as well as how his critics misjudge his works.
Jan WilmOct 10, 2018
- Around the World
- Fiction
The Intense Atmospheres of Language: Cristina Rivera Garza’s “The Taiga Syndrome”
The mystery that Rivera Garza’s detective confronts is framed by primordial fear, a horror that can't be accounted for even by the most radical fairy tales.
Ignacio M. Sánchez PradoOct 9, 2018
- Around the World
- Fiction