Despite their easy descriptions– a book about small town baseball, a memoir of grief and addiction, a discussion of reality television– Lucas Mann’s books are unlike anything else, with each page revealing a fresh perspective or a surprising insight. He tells James about writing weird books in a way that feels normal, throwing subjects off-kilter in interviews, learning to write unhinged to create emotion, and playing Jenga with narrative. Plus, Nathan McNamara on the art of book reviewing.
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Lucas Mann
James and Lucas discuss:
The University of Iowa
HOMAGE TO CATALONIA by George Orwell
Arundhati Roy
Amitava Kumar
James Baldwin
THE VILLAGER
Film Forum
THRONE by Kerry Howley
THE NEW YORKER
Roger Angell
“Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu” by John Updike
David Halberstam
BLUETS by Maggie Nelson
THE LOVER by Marguerite Duras
THE SUICIDE INDEX by Joan Wickersham
SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE
Malcolm Gladwell
Virginia Center for the Creative Arts
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Nathan McNamara
Nathan and James discuss:
PLOUGHSHARES
Johns Hopkins University
Vassar College
COFFEE HOUSE PRESS
SAMUEL JOHNSON’S ETERNAL RETURN by Michael Riker
DOROTHY, A PUBLISHING PROJECT
Megan McDowell
Christina MacSweeney
Emma Ramadan
Riff Raff Bookstore
Michael Silverblatt
BOOKWORM
Annie Hartnett
THE LOS ANGELES REVIEW OF BOOKS
Ellie Duke
Danielle Dutton
THE SHUTTERS by Ahmed Bouanani
THE HOSPITAL by Ahmed Bouanani
NEW DIRECTIONS PRESS
COMEMADRE by Roque Larraquy
Alejandra Pizarnik
THE POETRY FOUNDATION
Jeremy Lybarger
THINGS WE LOST IN THE FIRE: STORIES by Mariana Enriquez
FEVER DREAM by Samantha Schweblin
MY HEART HEMMED IN by Marie NDiaye
TWO LINES PRESS
THE BABYSITTER AT REST by Jen George