"Truly, it is a terrible thing to make a book." That's André Gide writing in the afterword of his fir
| “Truly, it is a terrible thing to make a book.” That’s André Gide writing in the afterword of his first novella, reviewed this weekend by Nolan Kelly. There are many opinions about the role of literature and art in our lives: that such efforts heal both maker and audience, effect political change, or reveal something essential about what it means to be human.Gide strikes a different note, which I choose to interpret as a description of the sheer egotism of writers and artists — the demand that others pay sustained attention to their innermost thoughts. And yet, despite this insistence, what we crave in art and literature is what we would consider “terrible” in any social situation. Perhaps, as we emerge into common life again, we might bring to our renewed connections the same open, even joyous disposition we grant a book or painting. — Albert Mobilio, Co-Editor, Hyperallergic Weekend | |
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| | Alia Ali's Yemeni Futurism From her earliest works, Ali has confronted colonial histories, challenged racial and gendered biases, and put pressure on borders both physical and conceptual. Jad Dahshan |
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| Douglas Kearney's Poetry of Performance Kearney’s language — exquisitely torqued and modulated, sheering from the formal to the vernacular — reminds us that we are in the hands of a masterful performer. Mark Scroggins |
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| Guy Goodwin’s Colorful Inelegance With subjects and materials such as diner menus and discarded cardboard, Goodwin resists a view of history as progress in search of ultimate truths. John Yau |
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| Required Reading This week, artists who marry, the Torah on privilege, Alamo artifacts under scrutiny, universities as right-wing institutions, and more. Hrag Vartanian |
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