Readings Archives

Dinner with Dear Friend

Dinner with Dear Friend, a painting by Alex Kanevsky, whose work was on view last May at Guido Romero Pierini, in Paris. Courtesy the artist and Hollis Taggart, New York…

Hands at Work III

by Sabrina Gschwandtner,

Hands at Work III, a film quilt by Sabrina Gschwandtner, whose work was on view last March at The Armory Show, in New York City.

Grandmaster Splash

by Daša Drndić,Translated by Celia Hawkesworth,

From EEG, a novel that will be published next month by New Directions. Drndić (1946–2018) was an author and playwright. EEG is her final work. Translated from the Croatian by Celia…

Republic of Letters

by Elisabeth Badinter, Jean Birnbaum,Translated by John Cullen,

From an interview in the November 28, 2018, edition of Le Monde with Élisabeth Badinter, conducted by Jean Birnbaum. Badinter is a French public intellectual and historian whose three-part history…

Sweet

by Robert Tindall,

From the twentieth issue of the literary annual NOON, which will be published this month. His story “A Dreary One” appeared in NOON in 2018. Gregory Speen learns to not…

“In Front of Coralinus, Punggol Central, Block 303C,” “Along Bishan Active Park, Bishan Street 23,” “In Front of Punggol Vista, Block 602C,” and “Along Corporation Road”

by Woong Soak Teng,

Photographs of staked trees in Singapore by Woong Soak Teng, from her book Ways to Tie Trees, published last July by Steidl. Courtesy the artist and Steidl “Along Bishan Active…

“Round and Round” and “Goofy Duck”

by Joshua Dildine,

“Round and Round” and “Goofy Duck,” photographs by Joshua Dildine, whose work was on view last July at Mark Moore Fine Art, in Orange, California. Courtesy the artist and Mark…

A Man on the Moon

by Jorge Luis Borges,Edited by Mark Yakich, John Biguenet,

From a conversation with Jorge Luis Borges on the translations of his books and poetry, conducted in 1982 by the New Orleans Review and published this month by Bloomsbury in…

Paradigm Grift

From claims made to an audience of children by speakers at the 106th Indian Science Congress, held in Phagwara in January. The statements were subsequently condemned by thirty-seven of the…

“L’Indifférence des Étoiles”

by Julien Mauve,

“L’Indifférence des Étoiles,” a photograph by Julien Mauve, whose work was on view in January at Galerie Intervalle, in Paris. Courtesy the artist and In the Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark

Opportunity Cost

by Mitchell S. Jackson,

From Survival Math, which will be published in March by Scribner. Jackson is an associate professor of writing at New York University and the author of The Residue Years. He…

White Out

by Han Kang,

From The White Book, published this month by Hogarth. Kang is a professor of creative writing at the Seoul Institute of the Arts. Translated from the Korean by Deborah Smith.…

Bird of Paradise

by Mark Bradford,

Bird of Paradise, mixed media on canvas by Mark Bradford, whose work was on view last spring at Hauser & Wirth, in Los Angeles. © The artist. Courtesy the artist…

Untitled

by Hai Zhang,

An untitled collage from the series The Eye Is Not Satisfied with Seeing, by Hai Zhang, whose work was on view in December at Miyako Yoshinaga Gallery, in New York…

A Thousand Times Yeses

From headlines that have appeared in the New York Times since 2016. Compiled by Henry Freedland. Yes, the Truth Still MattersYes, the News Can Survive the NewspaperYes, There Have Been…

From explanations given by the Chinese government for why certain artists and celebrities are banned from entering or performing in the country. Behaving badly in social lifeAssociating with countercultureUsing profanity…

“Entanglement”

by Linda DeStefano Brown,

“Entanglement,” a photograph by Linda DeStefano Brown, whose work was on view in August in the exhibition Recreating Nature, at Fountain Street Gallery, in Boston. Courtesy the artist and Fountain…

Garden

by Jana Prikryl,

From No Matter, which will be published in July by Tim Duggan Books. Because of what I seemed reduced toand I’d expected moreI wore this blankeffectto the receptionnot discouraged, willingand…

Interfering Patterns and Interfering Patterns and Ghosts

by Eske Kath,

Interfering Patterns and Interfering Patterns and Ghosts, paintings by Eske Kath, whose work was on view in December at Galerie Mikael Andersen, in Copenhagen, Denmark. Courtesy the artist and Galerie…

Fox

by Anne Carson,

From a manuscript in progress. Carson’s collection of performance pieces Float was published by Knopf in 2016. The aunts sit along the wall in their narrow stone chairs that smell…

Deep Deep Down

by Amy Casey,

Deep Deep Down, a painting by Amy Casey, whose work was on view in January at Foley Gallery, in New York City. Courtesy the artist and Foley Gallery, New York…

2020 Vision

by David Treuer,

From The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee, published this month by Riverhead Books. Treuer is Ojibwe and from the Leech Lake Reservation in northern Minnesota. In 1863, Hehaka Sapa (Black Elk)…

Swamp Things

From reported behaviors of Republican legislators who were elected or reelected in November. Posted erotic drawings of bigfootVoted to make it legal to kill hibernating wolves and bearsBragged about shooting…

Group X, No. 2, Altarpiece (Grupp X, nr 2, Altarbild) and Group X, No. 1, Altarpiece (Grupp X, nr 1, Altarbild)

by Hilma af Klint,

Group X, No. 2, Altarpiece (Grupp X, nr 2, Altarbild) and Group X, No. 1, Altarpiece (Grupp X, nr 1, Altarbild), 1915, oil and metalleaf paintings on canvas by Hilma…

Pillars

by Andy Piedilato,

Pillars, a painting by Andy Piedilato, whose work was on view last May at Art New York, in New York City. Courtesy the artist and Danese/Corey, New York City

Visits from the Goon Squad

From behaviors of Little Rock, Arkansas, police, cited by the department since 2007. The internal reports were made public in October, following an investigation of the killing of Bobby Moore,…

The Water Theater

by Travis Smith,

From a manuscript in progress. Smith’s chapbook, Zodiac B, was published by Ninepin Press in 2016. It is delightful to sit by the edge of the lake under the yellow…

Untitled

by Stephanie Pierce,

Untitled, a painting by Stephanie Pierce, whose work was on view last February at Steve Harvey Fine Art Projects, in New York City. Courtesy the artist and Steve Harvey Fine…

Nostos

by Anne Carson,

From a manuscript in progress. Every morning we wept an hour then went to see a toolwhining up from under the floorboards through himbarefoot in the doorway betrayed and unconsolableunable…

Office of Misinformation

From a list of accounts purged by Facebook for spam and “coordinated inauthentic behavior,” released by the company in October. Wake The Fuck UpNation in DistressViral Alternative NewsRight-Wing NewsAnti-MediaExposing the…

Readings

Excerpts from the best and most bizarre new books, testimonies, government documents, journals, news reports, speeches, and letters.

Dinner with Dear Friend

Hands at Work III

Grandmaster Splash

Republic of Letters

Sweet

“In Front of Coralinus, Punggol Central, Block 303C,” “Along Bishan Active Park, Bishan Street 23,” “In Front of Punggol Vista, Block 602C,” and “Along Corporation Road”

“Round and Round” and “Goofy Duck”

A Man on the Moon

Paradigm Grift

“L’Indifférence des Étoiles”

Opportunity Cost

White Out

Bird of Paradise

Untitled

A Thousand Times Yeses

Red Tape

“Entanglement”

Garden

Interfering Patterns and Interfering Patterns and Ghosts

Fox

Deep Deep Down

2020 Vision

Swamp Things

Group X, No. 2, Altarpiece (Grupp X, nr 2, Altarbild) and Group X, No. 1, Altarpiece (Grupp X, nr 1, Altarbild)

Pillars

Visits from the Goon Squad

The Water Theater

Untitled

Nostos

Office of Misinformation

Debug

Readings

Excerpts from the best and most bizarre new books, testimonies, government documents, journals, news reports, speeches, and letters.

From the Archive

Got it! Thanks for signing up!

Dinner with Dear Friend

Hands at Work III

Grandmaster Splash

Republic of Letters

Sweet

“In Front of Coralinus, Punggol Central, Block 303C,” “Along Bishan Active Park, Bishan Street 23,” “In Front of Punggol Vista, Block 602C,” and “Along Corporation Road”

“Round and Round” and “Goofy Duck”

A Man on the Moon

Paradigm Grift

“L’Indifférence des Étoiles”

Opportunity Cost

White Out

Bird of Paradise

Untitled

A Thousand Times Yeses

Red Tape

“Entanglement”

Garden

Interfering Patterns and Interfering Patterns and Ghosts

Fox

Deep Deep Down

2020 Vision

Swamp Things

Group X, No. 2, Altarpiece (Grupp X, nr 2, Altarbild) and Group X, No. 1, Altarpiece (Grupp X, nr 1, Altarbild)

Pillars

Visits from the Goon Squad

The Water Theater

Untitled

Nostos

Office of Misinformation

March 2019

Debug