Max Liu

Over 400 writers, publishers and booksellers — including figures across the literary world — have signed an open letter warning that a proposed ban on protest group Palestine Action represents a serious threat to free expression and civil liberties.
@theguardian.com

Pan — a strange and original portrait of teen chaos Michael Clune’s luminous debut novel captures the angst of growing up in suburban America

My review of Pan by Michael Clune is in this week's @ftweekend.com
www.ft.com/content/af7c...

Lucy Sparrow's "Bourdon Street Chippy" (a felt fish and chip shop installation) at Lyndsey Ingram gallery is a joy

Pan — a strange and original portrait of teen chaos Michael Clune’s luminous debut novel captures the angst of growing up in suburban America

My review of Pan by Michael Clune is in this week's @ftweekend.com
www.ft.com/content/af7c...

Pan — a strange and original portrait of teen chaos Michael Clune’s luminous debut novel captures the angst of growing up in suburban America

A debut novel by a critic about the mysteries of consciousness and being a teenager in the 90s that is extremely fun and quotable. Naturally I loved Pan by Michael Clune... My review for @ftweekend.com: www.ft.com/content/af7c...

The Booker Prize 2025 | The Booker Prizes The longlist for the Booker Prize 2025 has been announced, and features a previous winner plus two debut novelists

I’m very happy the Booker longlist is now public and I can once again actually talk to people about great books I’ve read recently thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-l...

Holloway film review — hugely powerful return to former women’s prison Six ex-inmates discuss their experiences of life inside in a film of raw honesty and pinpoint self-awareness

Went to see this documentary - in which six former-inmates of Holloway Prison return there before its demolition - after reading this excellent review. Powerful, important work, recommended: www.ft.com/content/3fd8...

Presenting the #BookerPrize2025 longlist.

Find out more about the books and authors that make up this year's Booker Dozen: thebookerprizes.com/bp2025

NP. God level music

Russia has also declared war on literature. Look at what’s happening and be warned | Anna Aslanyan Books – on LGBT themes or Ukraine – are Moscow’s target this time. And there as elsewhere, self-censorship is amplifying oppressors’ work, says journalist Anna Aslanyan

Russia has also declared war on literature. Look at what’s happening and be warned | Anna Aslanyan

PLEASE AMPLIFY:
The Gaza Freedom Flotilla is live on IG right now--there's a drone around them and a vessel--as they're about to be intercepted by Israel.

www.instagram.com/gazafreedomf...

Ozzy Osbourne Obituary: For the Back Street Kids John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats reflects on the loss of the singular frontman.

Read this because I Iiked the title and it got better and better. The kind of music writing I enjoy - personal, poetic, about the way art travels with us through time pitchfork.com/features/ozz...

“And that’s the point of reviews: the future.” Thank you @maxjliu.bsky.social for highlighting this fine piece. Let’s defend our critics, and their work. Who do you love to read?

In Defense of the Traditional Review Far from being a journalistic relic, as suggested by recent developments at the New York Times, arts criticism is inherently progressive, keeping art honest and pointing toward its future.

"A review is whatever a work of art brings to mind; everything is criticism." One of the great reviewers on the incomparable value of the written review...
www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...

In Defense of the Traditional Review Far from being a journalistic relic, as suggested by recent developments at the New York Times, arts criticism is inherently progressive, keeping art honest and pointing toward its future.

"A review is whatever a work of art brings to mind; everything is criticism." One of the great reviewers on the incomparable value of the written review...
www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...

I love that it's "early Weezer". So eponymous and 'Pinkerton'? Great!

Ha I bet you did! Nothing unhealthy about Radiohead. Sounds v encouraging tbh

Counted 6 Nirvana t-shirts on 10 min walk to M&S. I wore black one under my school shirt in 1990s. Dorks have made those t-shirts basic but maybe their ubiquity also mean there's still lots of alienated people who like great music and are sick of sellouts. Hope so... Teenage angst has paid off well

As reparations for being privately educated go this is a good one

Part of Tomaso Binga's "desemanticised writing" series at Donnaregina Contemporary Art Museum in Naples -superb gallery that's open until 8pm on Sundays and gives free entry to journalists

U.S. Imposes Sanctions on U.N. Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese Secretary of State Marco Rubio denounced Francesca Albanese, a special rapporteur, for investigating Americans and Israelis over the war in the enclave.

Francesca Albanese will be remembered as one of the bravest women of the era, standing against genocide despite the daunting forces arrayed against her. Sanctioning her, rather than the war criminals who are starving and murdering Palestinians is another moment of shame for the US trib.al/Oe77sph

Climbed a volcano today and remembered halfway up that Repave is one of the best things he - Vernon - has done

Zohran Mamdani and Mahmoud Khalil Are in on the Joke What it feels like to laugh when the world expects you to disappear.

This is great...
Zohran Mamdani and Mahmoud Khalil Are in on the Joke
www.newyorker.com/news/essay/z...

YouTube video by BloodOrangeVEVO Blood Orange - The Field (Official Video)

Blood Orange and The Durutti Column - one of those brilliant collaborations that is both a surprise and makes total sense youtube.com/watch?v=yTaz...

I must always have another level to go to. I don't use the fan's top setting in case it gets hotter so the top setting is never used. It's like how in Lanark Duncan only has £10 but thinks as long as it's in his pocket he's fine. Delusion but also true

10 Booker Prize-nominated books that are perfect for hot weather | The Booker Prizes Across the northern hemisphere, temperatures are rising with forecasts of another sweltering summer ahead. Here are ten searingly good Booker-nominated reads, where hot weather is much more than just ...

It's happening again... Stay cool in the hw and read my piece about @thebookerprizes.com fiction for hot weather thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-l...

True that. Andrea Long Chu making the excellent point that the secret of good criticism is time and money. From her forthcoming "Authority: Essays on Being Right"

Yes but their match was at 2am on Saturday morning. Who knows. Maybe they were still out 11 hours after watching that!