I read Satan in Goray by Isaac Bashevis Singer — and left it in Illinois for my mother when I was visiting. She suffers from serious dementia, but expressed excitement about this book and wanted to read it. It’s set in 17th-century Poland — during the aftermath of a catastrophic massacre of the Jews. Messiahs and Devils abound in this book amid the 17th century music Singer has miraculously composed. My mother was born in a similar place in this vicinity. My mother told me her mother died of fear. They were all terribly mad.
A Year in Reading: Diane Williams
A Year in Reading: Sophia Stewart
Heterosexuality—what is it good for? This was the question that propelled much of my reading in 2023.
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A Year in Reading: Lilly Dancyger
This year marked a huge and welcome shift in my reading habits: I started reading fiction again, for the first time in thirteen years.
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A Year in Reading: Elvia Wilk
You have to pick the book up, and you also have to know when to put it down and go do something else with your hands.
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A Year in Reading: Ruth Madievsky
This year, I mostly read books by my contemporaries. I wanted to luxuriate with my peers and support their work—we fucking did it.
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A Year in Reading: Madeleine Schwartz
At the beginning of this year I started a new magazine, which it turns out is a bit like hosting a continuous dinner party in your brain.
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A Year in Reading: Iyana Jones
The end of the year typically marks a glory-filled time where I pat myself on the back for picking up a book in my off-hours.
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