@lareviewofbooks.bsky.social
A multimedia literary and cultural arts magazine with an enduring commitment to the written word. https://lareviewofbooks.org/
a graphic that says "Inclusive literary coverage / double your impact. give today"
Our annual fund drive is *still* going — from now through Dec. 31, your donation gets matched by an anonymous donor. Help us reach our goal of $100,000 by the end of the year: https://lareviewofbooks.org/donate/?utm_source=bsky&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mgfd25&utm_id=mgfd25bsky
04.12.2025 15:41 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
"All the career planning and prize money in the world can’t guarantee ongoing opportunities and income."
Alexis Clements on Alison Bechdel’s “Spent” and predicaments of the modern artist: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/and-then-what-the-road-after-success-in-the-arts
The cover of Paradiso by Dante, translated by Mary Jo Bang against a background
“What I’ve learned from Dante is that complicated ideas don’t necessarily require complicated syntax; in fact, the more complicated the idea, the more useful clarity is," -Mary Jo Bang states on her translation of Dante's "Paradiso." https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/what-fresh-heaven
04.12.2025 12:50 — 👍 4 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
if you're an esteemed LARB-head like myself, consider throwing some cash their way
lareviewofbooks.org/donate/?utm_... @lareviewofbooks.bsky.social
The cover of My Son, The Priest against a background
“In the end, ‘My Son, the Priest’ is less a memoir of conversion than one of mutual acceptance: between mother and son, doubt and faith, ambivalence and devotion.”
Karen Park reviews Kristin Grady Gilger’s book about her son’s choice: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/ambivalence-and-devotion/
a headshot of Dan Chaon
"The circus seemed like a very particular metaphor for American life: the dream of escaping and being special, alongside the pressure to conform and not be a 'freak.'"
Dan Chaon speaks with Sanjena Sathian about his new novel, "One of Us." https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/blambustercated/
The cover of What is Intelligence? against a background
"I prefer to define life functionally—in terms of what it does—because this approach leaves open the door for life to be realized in multiple ways." -Blaise Agüera y Arcas on his new book and AI lessons: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/is-there-anything-artificial-about-artificial-intelligence/
03.12.2025 14:01 — 👍 4 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
“In this volume, we are unable to see the cathedral of Heaney’s achievement for the clutter of the scaffolding," writes Heather Treseler on “The Poems of Seamus Heaney,” a new “definitive collection” of the Irish poet’s work. https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/what-the-laureate-left-out/
03.12.2025 12:02 — 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
A mocked up version of the table of contents of LARB's Security issue
In the upcoming issue of the LARB Quarterly, we’re tightening our security. Consisting of essays, interviews, comics, and fiction, Security is in full throttle. Get your copy of the LARB Quarterly no. 47 today. https://lareviewofbooks.org/quarterly/
If you define life by its function—rather than what it’s made of—where does “function” come from?
Grateful for the chance to explore this million dollar question with Julien Crockett in @lareviewofbooks.bsky.social, and to share more about the artificial life experiments from my Pi team.
The cover of Paradiso translated by Mary Jo Bang against a background
“One reason Dante continues to be relevant is that his characters demonstrate the fundamental psychological complexity of human beings.”
Sebastian Langdell interviews Mary Jo Bang about her recent work translating Dante’s “Paradiso.” https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/what-fresh-heaven/
The cover of Paul Landacre: California Hills, Hollywood, and the World Beyond against a background
"Landacre’s landscapes can be read as part of conventions he did not invent but adopted.”
Johanna Drucker responds to LARB's review of the catalogue raisonné “Paul Landacre": https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/letter-to-the-editor-regarding-victoria-daileys-los-angeles-in-black-and-white/
A flyer promoting the WeHo Reads event, with information about the guests and event
Tonight at 6:30 p.m PT! It's the final WeHo Reads event of 2025: four authors of crime and mystery fiction help us confront the mess of being human.
Free, online, with RSVP Requested: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/weho-reads-going-dark-to-bring-light-tickets-1731271161649?aff=social
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Happy #GivingTuesday (the real holiday of the season)!
Continue to support LARB’s anti-paywall beliefs and literary sensibilities by donating through @LA2050, who’s matching donations up to $100 for each individual for *today only*: https://la2050.org/organizations/los-angeles-review-of-books
A headshot of Robin Coste Lewis with the text "Listen now!" over it
On #LARBRadioHour, Robin Coste Lewis joins the podcast to talk about her new poetry collection, "Archive of Desire." The four part collection came from collaboration around the 160th birthday of poet Constantin Cavafy: https://lareviewofbooks.org/av/robin-coste-lewis-archive-of-desire/
02.12.2025 12:10 — 👍 4 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
People of the World: Relax! lareviewofbooks.org/article/peop... via @lareviewofbooks.bsky.social
02.12.2025 17:38 — 👍 3 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
A graphic that reads: Giving Tuesday; Triple your Donation today! Donate now!
This #GivingTuesday, help support LARB’s anti-paywall beliefs and literary sensibilities. Through Dec. 31, all donations to LARB get matched by a donor—*and* LA2050 is matching $100/donation up to $10,000 for today only! Donate now at: https://la2050.org/organizations/los-angeles-review-of-books
02.12.2025 09:04 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
In case you also needed to hear this message today! lareviewofbooks.org/article/peop...
02.12.2025 14:12 — 👍 3 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
The cover of The Poems of Seamus Heaney against a background
“The new, highly anticipated collection of Heaney’s poems, released in the United States this month, makes an unfortunate departure from his legacy of rigor.”
Heather Treseler fills in the blanks of “The Poems of Seamus Heaney." https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/what-the-laureate-left-out/
A comic with the title, Nancy on a swing saying "Hi folks" and then a flag with a thought bubble that says: "If you want to be a movie star go to hollywood. If you want to be a dancer be a dancer right now or it will be too late and you will be unhappy because you are not a dancer"
"If you want to be a dancer be a dancer right now or it will be too late and you will be unhappy because you are not a dancer." "People of the World: Relax!" by Joe Brainard is now featured in LARB Quarterly no. 47: “Security.” https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/people-of-the-world-relax/
02.12.2025 05:50 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0"The Plunder of Black America positions its readers to see the bigger picture and consistent historical themes."
Joel Edward Goza reviews Calvin Schermerhorn's "The Plunder of Black America": https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/on-the-plunder-of-black-america
"After a series of experimental novels, the book is Woolf’s attempt at realism; perhaps because of this, it’s her most subtly strange and hallucinatory book, as reality at close range tends to yield unsettling visions and surprises—as does any acute record of everyday life."
30.11.2025 21:16 — 👍 3 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0
Deeply thankful for the opportunity to review Calvin Schermerhorn's the Plunder of Black America for the @lareviewofbooks.bsky.social.
Spoiler Alert. I loved it.
lareviewofbooks.org/article/raci...
A faded photo of Shasta Resevoir
"At the very least, many residents feel that there are de facto two
Californias."
From our upcoming Security issue, Nevin Kallepalli probes political resentment: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-secessionists-of-shasta-county/
“If there is a glimmer of hope in the novel’s bleak conclusion, it is that, as Havel observed, individuals are the system.”
In @lareviewofbooks.bsky.social, Cory Oldweiler reviews Krisztina Tóth’s newly translated novel, “Eye of the Monkey” - lareviewofbooks.org/article/a-po...
The cover of What is Intelligence? against a background
"Modern AI systems are actually very human, for good and for ill."
Julien Crockett with @blaiseaguera.bsky.social about "What Is Intelligence?" https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/is-there-anything-artificial-about-artificial-intelligence/
The cover of The Natural Order of Things against a background
"The natural world is more than a conceit in these poems. It becomes the poet’s intimate interlocuter." Nathan Xavier Osorio on Donika Kelly’s “The Natural Order of Things.” https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/closing-the-distance-emerging-from-the-earth/
30.11.2025 14:01 — 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
"Reading is a curious thing. A book read in a happy fog is one thing; the same pages when the world has turned to ash can be another."
Cynthia Zarin traces the rise of fascism through the diary entries of Virginia Woolf: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/dont-close-your-teeth/
The cover of Spent against a background
"Bechdel’s book seems to present sharing resources and not following the capitalist impulse to isolate as a compelling, if sometimes complicating, path forward."
Alexis Clements on Alison Bechdel’s “Spent”: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/and-then-what-the-road-after-success-in-the-arts/
A photo of Emily's Sassy Lime posing by an old car
"Being convinced to play was probably the hardest part."
Martin Wong talks with Emily’s Sassy Lime about reuniting for California Biennial: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/still-not-geriatric-archiving-a-teenage-riot-grrrl-band/
