Shane McCrae discussed his new memoir, Pulling the Chariot of the Sun (one of the year’s most powerful books), with the New York Times Magazine.
Some people go through the worst in life, and it destroys them; others, no less beset, see it move through them. “Some people think that I am troublingly optimistic,” McCrae told me back in his office. “I don’t know if that’s true. But it’s rather more that I tend to believe, for reasons I can’t fully explain, the good, or at least the least-complicated version that would fall on the side of good.”
Ludwig Göransson discussed his score for Oppenheimer with Vulture.
What Chris really wanted was to capture Oppenheimer’s persona and his neurotic behavior and his character. I think there was something with the unease of the violin, the fretless instrument, how you can go from the most romantic, beautiful tone and, based on the performance, change in a split second to something neurotic and heart-wrenching. So that was something that we experimented with a lot in the beginning: how to take a traditional horror sound and turn that into a more romantic sound, and then go between those two different soundscapes.
eBooks on sale for $1.99 today:
Adulthood Rites by Octavia E. Butler
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster and Jules Feiffer
eBooks on sale for $2.99 today:
All the Things We Don’t Talk About by Amy Feltman
Letters from Max by Sarah Ruhl and Max Ritvo
Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich
eBooks on sale for $3.99 today:
The Color Purple Collection by Alice Walker
Father of the Rain by Lily King
This week’s Largehearted Boy newsletter shared an anniversary playlist (of songs from the past year) as well as the usual links, likes, and weekly recap.
TaraShea Nesbit shared tips on writing historical fiction.
Stream a new song by Prewn.
e rathke interviewed author David Simmons.
Sean Weeks called for more original scores for television series at Paste.
Drew Buxton recommended novels featuring power duos at Electric Literature.
Stream a new song by Becca Mancari.
The Creative Independent interviewed author Eliza Clark.
The Linda Lindas visited KCRW for an interview and live performance.
Nathan Oates talked books & reading with Debutiful.
Soccer Mommy covered Sheryl Crow’s “Soak Up the Sun.”
The Guardian recommended entry points into the books of Haruki Murakami.
Stream a new song by Hotline TNT.
Sarah Rose Etter wrote about writing her new novel at Electric Literature.
If you can write a novel without suffering, my hat is off to you. For me, the work is deeply driven by a desperation to understand the world around me.
Stream a new song by cumgirl8.
Book Riot recommended Korean literature in translation.
Stereogum interviewed Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino.
The New York Times recommended the week’s best new books.
NYCTaper shared a recording of a recent performance by Rose City Band.
The New Yorker shared new flash fiction by Weike Wang.
Stream a new song by Nisa.
Fiction/Non/Fiction interviewed author Robin Sloan.
Stream a new song by the Pretenders.
Stream a new song by Buck Meek.
Tara Westover talked books and reading with the New York Times.
I like to be surprised by the characters — the discovery that the angel is not so angelic, the devil not so depraved. Being surprised by people is one of the great pleasures and great pains of life.
Stream a new song by Rhiannon Giddens & Jason Isbell.
Julian Barnes talked teaching with Keen On.
Stream a new song by Me Rex.