Los Angeles Review of Books
@lareviewofbooks.bsky.social
A multimedia literary and cultural arts magazine with an enduring commitment to the written word. https://lareviewofbooks.org/
Pinned
We're over the moon to announce that the LARB Quarterly, no. 46: Alien is officially coming soon, featuring meditations, essays, fiction, poetry, and more from LARB contributors new and known. Prep for landing and join today to get your issue. https://lareviewofbooks.org/membership/
Our fund drive is still going—and we need your help!
Donate by December 31 to support independent, incisive criticism and your gift will be matched up to $100,000: https://lareviewofbooks.org/donate/?utm_source=bsky&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mgfd25&utm_id=mgfd25
Donate by December 31 to support independent, incisive criticism and your gift will be matched up to $100,000: https://lareviewofbooks.org/donate/?utm_source=bsky&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mgfd25&utm_id=mgfd25
November 26, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Our fund drive is still going—and we need your help!
Donate by December 31 to support independent, incisive criticism and your gift will be matched up to $100,000: https://lareviewofbooks.org/donate/?utm_source=bsky&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mgfd25&utm_id=mgfd25
Donate by December 31 to support independent, incisive criticism and your gift will be matched up to $100,000: https://lareviewofbooks.org/donate/?utm_source=bsky&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mgfd25&utm_id=mgfd25
"Tóth has ventured into speculative fiction, in this case a story set in an unnamed city in an unidentified country at an indeterminate point in the near future." Cory Oldweiler on Krisztina Tóth’s newly translated novel “Eye of the Monkey” https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/a-power-built-on-lies/
November 26, 2025 at 4:19 PM
"Tóth has ventured into speculative fiction, in this case a story set in an unnamed city in an unidentified country at an indeterminate point in the near future." Cory Oldweiler on Krisztina Tóth’s newly translated novel “Eye of the Monkey” https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/a-power-built-on-lies/
"For me, the book was about approaching and describing a miracle in the most realistic terms that I could."
Tess Pollok interviews Jon Raymond about his new novel, “God and Sex.” https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/miracles-magic-thinking-and-the-climate-crisis/
Tess Pollok interviews Jon Raymond about his new novel, “God and Sex.” https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/miracles-magic-thinking-and-the-climate-crisis/
November 26, 2025 at 2:06 PM
"For me, the book was about approaching and describing a miracle in the most realistic terms that I could."
Tess Pollok interviews Jon Raymond about his new novel, “God and Sex.” https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/miracles-magic-thinking-and-the-climate-crisis/
Tess Pollok interviews Jon Raymond about his new novel, “God and Sex.” https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/miracles-magic-thinking-and-the-climate-crisis/
"The main lesson from the book is that even great artists tend to fail spectacularly when they overstretch. To give Herzog his due, he has taught us this lesson several times already."
Sam Shpall on Werner Herzog’s new book: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/herzog-in-the-jungle-of-truth/
Sam Shpall on Werner Herzog’s new book: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/herzog-in-the-jungle-of-truth/
November 25, 2025 at 7:45 PM
"The main lesson from the book is that even great artists tend to fail spectacularly when they overstretch. To give Herzog his due, he has taught us this lesson several times already."
Sam Shpall on Werner Herzog’s new book: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/herzog-in-the-jungle-of-truth/
Sam Shpall on Werner Herzog’s new book: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/herzog-in-the-jungle-of-truth/
Celebrate the holiday season with LARB, and the launch of Security, the Winter issue of the LARB Quarterly! We’ll be closing out 2025 with a night of readings and merriment.
Get your tickets today! https://lareviewofbooks.org/event/larb-holiday-party
Get your tickets today! https://lareviewofbooks.org/event/larb-holiday-party
November 25, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Celebrate the holiday season with LARB, and the launch of Security, the Winter issue of the LARB Quarterly! We’ll be closing out 2025 with a night of readings and merriment.
Get your tickets today! https://lareviewofbooks.org/event/larb-holiday-party
Get your tickets today! https://lareviewofbooks.org/event/larb-holiday-party
“The book’s through line is a familiar tension between clueless American policymakers and subordinates more in touch with local anger.”
Shehryar Fazli reviews Scott Anderson’s “King of Kings.” https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/a-citadel-of-fatuousness/
Shehryar Fazli reviews Scott Anderson’s “King of Kings.” https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/a-citadel-of-fatuousness/
November 25, 2025 at 4:19 PM
“The book’s through line is a familiar tension between clueless American policymakers and subordinates more in touch with local anger.”
Shehryar Fazli reviews Scott Anderson’s “King of Kings.” https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/a-citadel-of-fatuousness/
Shehryar Fazli reviews Scott Anderson’s “King of Kings.” https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/a-citadel-of-fatuousness/
"The video’s collaged narrative and soundscape offers the contextual cues of the 1980s that annotate and animate the beautifully nuanced references in the rest of the installation." @larafresko on Hande Sever at Redcat. https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/holding-and-disappearing-traces-of-the-past/
November 25, 2025 at 1:50 PM
"The video’s collaged narrative and soundscape offers the contextual cues of the 1980s that annotate and animate the beautifully nuanced references in the rest of the installation." @larafresko on Hande Sever at Redcat. https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/holding-and-disappearing-traces-of-the-past/
"Full of shocking revelations about a company that promised empowerment but provided only exploitation, the book also paints a concerning picture of the ubiquity of the contemporary cult."
Helena Aeberli on “Empire of Orgasm" by Ellen Huet: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-cult-of-orgasm/
Helena Aeberli on “Empire of Orgasm" by Ellen Huet: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-cult-of-orgasm/
November 24, 2025 at 11:02 PM
"Full of shocking revelations about a company that promised empowerment but provided only exploitation, the book also paints a concerning picture of the ubiquity of the contemporary cult."
Helena Aeberli on “Empire of Orgasm" by Ellen Huet: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-cult-of-orgasm/
Helena Aeberli on “Empire of Orgasm" by Ellen Huet: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-cult-of-orgasm/
"An unavoidable question arises: are we that far from turning a tale about Chile yesterday into a story about America today?" Ariel Dorfman reviews "Chile in Their Hearts" by John Dinges: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/chile-yesterday-america-today/
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Los Angeles Review of Books is a magazine and nonprofit dedicated to rigorous, incisive, and engaging writing on every aspect of literature, culture, and the arts.
lareviewofbooks.org
November 24, 2025 at 9:56 PM
"An unavoidable question arises: are we that far from turning a tale about Chile yesterday into a story about America today?" Ariel Dorfman reviews "Chile in Their Hearts" by John Dinges: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/chile-yesterday-america-today/
Do you love thoughtful West Coast takes? We’re seeking to raise $100,000 to keep our writing and programming going in 2026—and you can double your impact, with all gifts matched through Dec. 31: https://lareviewofbooks.org/donate/?utm_source=bsky&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mgfd25&utm_id=mgfd25
November 24, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Do you love thoughtful West Coast takes? We’re seeking to raise $100,000 to keep our writing and programming going in 2026—and you can double your impact, with all gifts matched through Dec. 31: https://lareviewofbooks.org/donate/?utm_source=bsky&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mgfd25&utm_id=mgfd25
" I didn’t want the book to be about the real person in the song. I wanted to focus on Rey’s character as this legend that lives on after his death." Jaquira Díaz talks about her new book, “This Is the Only Kingdom,” with Iris Kim: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/i-refuse-to-let-you-have-my-joy/
Page Not Found | Los Angeles Review of Books
Los Angeles Review of Books is a magazine and nonprofit dedicated to rigorous, incisive, and engaging writing on every aspect of literature, culture, and the arts.
lareviewofbooks.org
November 24, 2025 at 7:02 PM
" I didn’t want the book to be about the real person in the song. I wanted to focus on Rey’s character as this legend that lives on after his death." Jaquira Díaz talks about her new book, “This Is the Only Kingdom,” with Iris Kim: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/i-refuse-to-let-you-have-my-joy/
"Herzog is, as always, playing his own game. He is governed not by norms of inquiry, nor by any grandiose pragmatic theory about what truth is."
Sam Shpall reviews Werner Herzog’s book “The Future of Truth.” https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/herzog-in-the-jungle-of-truth/
Sam Shpall reviews Werner Herzog’s book “The Future of Truth.” https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/herzog-in-the-jungle-of-truth/
November 24, 2025 at 5:05 PM
"Herzog is, as always, playing his own game. He is governed not by norms of inquiry, nor by any grandiose pragmatic theory about what truth is."
Sam Shpall reviews Werner Herzog’s book “The Future of Truth.” https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/herzog-in-the-jungle-of-truth/
Sam Shpall reviews Werner Herzog’s book “The Future of Truth.” https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/herzog-in-the-jungle-of-truth/
"My task as a translator is to preserve the poem’s heartbeat and transport it alive across a thousand-year distance." -Shangyang Fang talks with C. Francis Fisher about translating for "Study of Sorrow" : https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/phases-of-the-quotidien-a-conversation-with-shangyang-fang/
November 24, 2025 at 1:50 PM
"My task as a translator is to preserve the poem’s heartbeat and transport it alive across a thousand-year distance." -Shangyang Fang talks with C. Francis Fisher about translating for "Study of Sorrow" : https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/phases-of-the-quotidien-a-conversation-with-shangyang-fang/
Hannah Smart spent a year diagramming, against the advice of well-meaning family and friends, a 900-word David Foster Wallace sentence. Here's what the experience taught her: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/nothing-ever-happens-mister-squishy-and-the-year-of-the-sentence-diagram/
November 23, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Hannah Smart spent a year diagramming, against the advice of well-meaning family and friends, a 900-word David Foster Wallace sentence. Here's what the experience taught her: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/nothing-ever-happens-mister-squishy-and-the-year-of-the-sentence-diagram/
Brandon Taylor joins the #LARBRadioHour to talk about his latest novel, “Minor Black Figures," the white gaze, and how to write a good sex scene. Listen now on LARB's site, or wherever you find podcasts: https://lareviewofbooks.org/av/brandon-taylor-minor-black-figures/
November 23, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Brandon Taylor joins the #LARBRadioHour to talk about his latest novel, “Minor Black Figures," the white gaze, and how to write a good sex scene. Listen now on LARB's site, or wherever you find podcasts: https://lareviewofbooks.org/av/brandon-taylor-minor-black-figures/
"The book is so immersed in its own world that it reads, at times, like fan service."
@leahlitman.bsky.social prosecutes Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s new memoir, “Listening to the Law.” https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/is-justice-barrett-listening/
@leahlitman.bsky.social prosecutes Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s new memoir, “Listening to the Law.” https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/is-justice-barrett-listening/
Page Not Found | Los Angeles Review of Books
Los Angeles Review of Books is a magazine and nonprofit dedicated to rigorous, incisive, and engaging writing on every aspect of literature, culture, and the arts.
lareviewofbooks.org
November 23, 2025 at 6:01 PM
"The book is so immersed in its own world that it reads, at times, like fan service."
@leahlitman.bsky.social prosecutes Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s new memoir, “Listening to the Law.” https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/is-justice-barrett-listening/
@leahlitman.bsky.social prosecutes Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s new memoir, “Listening to the Law.” https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/is-justice-barrett-listening/
"His approach is both clinical and passionate, dogged in his pursuit of any information that could prove or disprove the assumptions with which he started out."
Ariel Dorfman explores John Dinges's new book, "Chile in Their Hearts": https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/chile-yesterday-america-today/
Ariel Dorfman explores John Dinges's new book, "Chile in Their Hearts": https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/chile-yesterday-america-today/
November 23, 2025 at 4:29 PM
"His approach is both clinical and passionate, dogged in his pursuit of any information that could prove or disprove the assumptions with which he started out."
Ariel Dorfman explores John Dinges's new book, "Chile in Their Hearts": https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/chile-yesterday-america-today/
Ariel Dorfman explores John Dinges's new book, "Chile in Their Hearts": https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/chile-yesterday-america-today/
“I wanted to show that joy was a part of their life, and that the decision to have a party was very political. The decision to actually have moments of joy was political.” -Jaquira Díaz speaks about her new novel with Iris Kim: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/i-refuse-to-let-you-have-my-joy/
November 23, 2025 at 2:01 PM
“I wanted to show that joy was a part of their life, and that the decision to have a party was very political. The decision to actually have moments of joy was political.” -Jaquira Díaz speaks about her new novel with Iris Kim: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/i-refuse-to-let-you-have-my-joy/
"Fundamentally, Nouvelle Vague and Blue Moon are both hangout movies, brought to you by the undisputed champion of that division."
Jacob Stern reviews Richard Linklater’s twin hangout movies: Nouvelle Vague and Blue Moon. https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/when-history-hangs-out/
Jacob Stern reviews Richard Linklater’s twin hangout movies: Nouvelle Vague and Blue Moon. https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/when-history-hangs-out/
Page Not Found | Los Angeles Review of Books
Los Angeles Review of Books is a magazine and nonprofit dedicated to rigorous, incisive, and engaging writing on every aspect of literature, culture, and the arts.
lareviewofbooks.org
November 22, 2025 at 8:31 PM
"Fundamentally, Nouvelle Vague and Blue Moon are both hangout movies, brought to you by the undisputed champion of that division."
Jacob Stern reviews Richard Linklater’s twin hangout movies: Nouvelle Vague and Blue Moon. https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/when-history-hangs-out/
Jacob Stern reviews Richard Linklater’s twin hangout movies: Nouvelle Vague and Blue Moon. https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/when-history-hangs-out/
Save the date for 6:30 p.m PT on Dec 3, for 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
Free, online, with RSVP Requested: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/weho-reads-going-dark-to-bring-light-tickets-1731271161649?aff=social
November 22, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Save the date for 6:30 p.m PT on Dec 3, for 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
Free, online, with RSVP Requested: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/weho-reads-going-dark-to-bring-light-tickets-1731271161649?aff=social
“But can she even hear what the law is saying given her disconnection from our current reality?”
Leah Litman reviews Justice Amy Coney Barrett's “Listening to the Law: Reflections on the Court and Constitution.” https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/is-justice-barrett-listening/
Leah Litman reviews Justice Amy Coney Barrett's “Listening to the Law: Reflections on the Court and Constitution.” https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/is-justice-barrett-listening/
November 22, 2025 at 4:34 PM
“But can she even hear what the law is saying given her disconnection from our current reality?”
Leah Litman reviews Justice Amy Coney Barrett's “Listening to the Law: Reflections on the Court and Constitution.” https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/is-justice-barrett-listening/
Leah Litman reviews Justice Amy Coney Barrett's “Listening to the Law: Reflections on the Court and Constitution.” https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/is-justice-barrett-listening/
"An economy that encourages honest curiosity, not wringing the world’s beauty for the sake of a poem but pursuing beauty and truth regardless."
Yvonne Kim reviews Gabrielle Calvocoressi’s "The New Economy." https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/cisterns-of-multiplicity/
Yvonne Kim reviews Gabrielle Calvocoressi’s "The New Economy." https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/cisterns-of-multiplicity/
November 22, 2025 at 1:50 PM
"An economy that encourages honest curiosity, not wringing the world’s beauty for the sake of a poem but pursuing beauty and truth regardless."
Yvonne Kim reviews Gabrielle Calvocoressi’s "The New Economy." https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/cisterns-of-multiplicity/
Yvonne Kim reviews Gabrielle Calvocoressi’s "The New Economy." https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/cisterns-of-multiplicity/
"The magic trick of these films is the way they defy the Newtonian laws of story: nothing happens, and you’re never bored—propulsion but no engine."
Jacob Stern on Richard Linklater’s two latest films, "Nouvelle Vague" and "Blue Moon": https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/when-history-hangs-out/
Jacob Stern on Richard Linklater’s two latest films, "Nouvelle Vague" and "Blue Moon": https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/when-history-hangs-out/
November 21, 2025 at 4:19 PM
"The magic trick of these films is the way they defy the Newtonian laws of story: nothing happens, and you’re never bored—propulsion but no engine."
Jacob Stern on Richard Linklater’s two latest films, "Nouvelle Vague" and "Blue Moon": https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/when-history-hangs-out/
Jacob Stern on Richard Linklater’s two latest films, "Nouvelle Vague" and "Blue Moon": https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/when-history-hangs-out/
"That’s Williams’s vision of heaven: freedom from danger, and a renewal of the innocence needed to trust and, equally, to fear." Gideon Leek reviews Joy Williams’s latest story collection, “The Pelican Child”: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/our-reigning-prophet-of-doom/
November 21, 2025 at 1:50 PM
"That’s Williams’s vision of heaven: freedom from danger, and a renewal of the innocence needed to trust and, equally, to fear." Gideon Leek reviews Joy Williams’s latest story collection, “The Pelican Child”: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/our-reigning-prophet-of-doom/
How do you feel?
We're pleased to announce that LARB Quarterly, no. 47: Security is officially coming Dec. 9, and features essays, fiction, poetry, and more from LARB contributors new and known. Get prepped and stay ready—join today to get your issue. https://lareviewofbooks.org/membership
We're pleased to announce that LARB Quarterly, no. 47: Security is officially coming Dec. 9, and features essays, fiction, poetry, and more from LARB contributors new and known. Get prepped and stay ready—join today to get your issue. https://lareviewofbooks.org/membership
November 20, 2025 at 11:02 PM
How do you feel?
We're pleased to announce that LARB Quarterly, no. 47: Security is officially coming Dec. 9, and features essays, fiction, poetry, and more from LARB contributors new and known. Get prepped and stay ready—join today to get your issue. https://lareviewofbooks.org/membership
We're pleased to announce that LARB Quarterly, no. 47: Security is officially coming Dec. 9, and features essays, fiction, poetry, and more from LARB contributors new and known. Get prepped and stay ready—join today to get your issue. https://lareviewofbooks.org/membership