Danzy Senna, a novelist who’s built a career around writing about the mixed-race experience in America, has penned a satire that speaks to the unique struggles of life as a public intellectual and artist. Jane, a novelist, and her husband Lenny, a painter, are struggling to really land in Los Angeles—their housing is always transitional,… Continue reading Colored Television by Danzy Senna
Tag: books
The Coin by Yasmin Zaher
Novelist Yasmin Zaher’s debut novel, The Coin, is a mesmerizing a unique entry into the canon of great literature about a young woman seeking purpose in New York City. The narrator is a Palestinian immigrant and a middle school teacher at an all-boys school, a job she holds not out of necessity but out of… Continue reading The Coin by Yasmin Zaher
State of Paradise by Laura van den Berg
Laura van den Berg’s latest novel, State of Paradise, is a deeply imaginative and unique novel about pandemic life. The narrative begins when a woman employed as a ghostwriter for a popular mystery writer moves back to her native Florida to live amongst her mother and sister. Her husband is researching migrations, and becomes a… Continue reading State of Paradise by Laura van den Berg
Bear by Julia Phillips
Julia Phillips’ sophomore effort, Bear, centers on two sisters in their 20’s living on the remote island of San Juan off the coast of Washington state, trapped under the weight of their limited opportunities and the overwhelming medical bills of their sick mother who is unable to work and requires constant care. The sisters, Sam… Continue reading Bear by Julia Phillips
All Fours by Miranda July
Miranda July’s latest novel, All Fours, is at once entirely singular and also feels like the natural next step in her body of work. The novel is a surprising and sensual exploration of middle age and how desire, ambition, and creativity survive the hormonal stew of menopause. The novel begins with a creative woman in… Continue reading All Fours by Miranda July
Real Americans by Rachel Khong
Rachel Khong’s most recent novel, Real Americans, is a multigenerational epic told in three parts—exploring family history, genetics, ethics, and culture. The novel begins as a fairly straightforward romance—set in Manhattan in 2001—between Lily, a young woman working at an uninspiring online magazine, who meets William, a charming and handsome asset manager. William sweeps Lily… Continue reading Real Americans by Rachel Khong
Blue Ruin by Hari Kunzru
Hari Kunzru’s latest novel, Blue Ruin, is an exploration of the intersection of art and commerce. The novel is the completion of Kunzru’s red, white, and blue pseudo-trilogy (White Tears, Red Pill, Blue Ruin)—which explores contemporary social issues like racism, classism, and economic inequality. Blue Ruin is set during the early days of the pandemic,… Continue reading Blue Ruin by Hari Kunzru
Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange
In his sophomore novel, Wandering Stars, Tommy Orange grapples with cultural inheritance and identity. The novel begins with the 1864 Sand Creek massacre—and traces the descendants of one of the survivors, Jude Star, through generations reaching the present moment. After the massacre, Jude and his children are forced to attend colonial schools, in which white… Continue reading Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange
Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
Most people are familiar with the concept of searching for life’s purpose, but Kaveh Akbar’s narrator, Cyrus Shams, is more concerned with searching for his death’s purpose. Cyrus is a twenty-something Iranian American, living in Indiana, drifting around a college town while searching for a reason to live. Cyrus is a recovering addict, he spent… Continue reading Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
Beautyland by Marie Helene Bertino
In Marie-Helene Bertino’s most recent novel, Beautyland, an extraterrestrial girl is born to a single mother in a working class neighborhood of Philadelphia with one mission—to report on human life to her superiors and save their planet. Adina grows up much like any other human girl: forming friendships, going to school, fighting with her mom—but… Continue reading Beautyland by Marie Helene Bertino