Published by L'Iconoclaste, 2023, 581 pages. Published in English as Watching Over Her, Simon & Schuster, 2026.Translated from French by Frank Wynne An old man lies dying in the abbey, Sacra di San Michele in Piedmont, Italy, watched over by 32 monks. The man, Mimo Vitaliani, has lived in the monastery for 40 years, but …
Month: October 2026
Last Date in El Zapotal: Mateo García Elizondo
Translated from Spanish by Robin MyersPublished by Charco Press, 2024, 157 pages. Original version published in 2019. “I’d say you start existing in a kind of limbo. That’s where I live now, that’s what this whole town is: limbo. That’s what heroin is too. You’re halfway between the world of the living and the world …
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Shining a Light on Addiction: An Interview with Lisa K. Friedman
Lisa K. Friedman is an American writer. Her novel Hello Wife, about a woman who becomes addicted to opioids, was published in 2025. Lisa has written for The New York Times, Huffington Post, and People, among others. She teaches creative writing for adults and children, and mentors fiction writers. She enjoys sailing with her dog. …
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The Director: Daniel Kehlmann
Translated from German by Ross BenjaminPublished by riverrun, 2023, 333 pages. Original version published in 2023. The book begins with Franzl Wilzek, an old man with dementia, being taken to a television studio, where he is interviewed by Heinz Conrad, a well-known host. He is confused about why he is there and unsure of what …
Of Ghosts and Goblins: Lafcadio Hearn
Published by Penguin Classics, 2022, 203 pages. Original stories published 1894–1905. A dying wife summons her husband’s youngest concubine under the guise of handing over her husband’s welfare to the young woman; a monk wandering in a desolate landscape is persuaded by a poor man to spend the night in his home; and a dead …
Drawing on Nigerian History and Folklore: An Interview with Chigozie Obioma
Photo: Nikki May Chigozie Obioma is a Nigerian novelist. He has written three novels: The Fishermen (2015), An Orchestra of Minorities (2019), and The Road to the Country (2024). The Fishermen and An Orchestra of Minorities were both shortlisted for the Booker Prize. The Road to the Country was longlisted for the Joyce Carol Oates …
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Hello Wife: Lisa K. Friedman
Published by SFWP, 2025, 251 pages “My wedding dress was made by a costume designer I met while buying weed at the 7-Eleven one February, which is also where I met Jimbo, my husband to be. I went to the 7-Eleven every day. I liked standing around the counter, drinking coffee and talking to Plots, …
