Fiction

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

Humor Is the Dominant Note: On James McBride’s “Deacon King Kong”
Clifford Thompson reviews the latest novel from National Book Award winner James McBride, “Deacon King Kong.”
Clifford ThompsonMar 18, 2020
- Fiction
Failing to Find the Language of Pain: On Gayle Brandeis’s “Many Restless Concerns: The Victims of Countess Báthory Speak in Chorus”
Elena Goukassian listens to “Many Restless Concerns,” the new novel in poems by Gayle Brandeis.
Elena GoukassianMar 17, 2020
- Fiction
- Poetry
Artifice Is Part of the Process: An Interview with Dao Strom
Meghan Lamb speaks with Dao Strom about memory, hybrid literary forms, and her book “The Gentle Order of Girls and Boys.”
Meghan LambMar 16, 2020
- Fiction
Acute Infection or Chronic Condition? On Maxim D. Shrayer’s “A Russian Immigrant: Three Novellas”
Yelena Furman traverses “A Russian Immigrant: Three Novellas” by Maxim D. Shrayer.
Yelena FurmanMar 15, 2020
- Fiction
Piecework and Assembly: On Judith Teitelman’s “Guesthouse for Ganesha”
Marcie McCauley checks into "Guesthouse for Ganesha," the debut novel from Judith Teitelman.
Marcie McCauleyMar 14, 2020
- Fiction
From the Regional to the Universal: On Larry Brown’s “Tiny Love: The Complete Stories”
Woody Haut reviews the new collection of short stories by the late Larry Brown, "Tiny Love."
Woody HautMar 13, 2020
- Fiction
No Childhood to Lose
Jan Cherubin reviews a debut novel about the legacies of childhood sexual abuse.
Jan CherubinMar 12, 2020
- Fiction
Love and Solitude in Exile: Isabel Allende’s “A Long Petal of the Sea”
Sam Buckland finds Isabel Allende’s “A Long Petal of the Sea” “intimate but never sentimental, traumatic but never aggressively so.”
Sam BucklandMar 12, 2020
- Around the World
- Fiction
Creating a Bridge: A Conversation with Susan Harris, Editorial Director of “Words Without Borders”
Azareen Van der Vliet Oloomi discusses the importance of translation with Susan Harris, editorial director of "Words Without Borders."
Azareen Van der Vliet OloomiMar 12, 2020
In the Shape of People: On Catherine Chidgey’s “The Wish Child”
Maggie Trapp considers "The Wish Child" by Catherine Chidgey, which is out now in paperback from Counterpoint.
Maggie TrappMar 11, 2020
- Around the World
- Fiction
Translating Transnational Anxiety: Ivana Dobrakovová’s “Bellevue”
Daniel. W Pratt considers adolescence, madness, and the breakdown of language in Ivana Dobrakovová’s “Bellevue,” translated by Julia and Peter Sherwood.
Daniel W. PrattMar 8, 2020
Talking Forcefully to Ghosts
A playful new Cuban novel about cannibalism, ghosts, and an unrepentant Don Juan.
Maxine SwannMar 8, 2020
- Around the World
- Fiction