5 Things I’m Reading
by a contributor
from Delaney Nolan, author of You Live Alone In a Small House
and Lessons in American History:
- When Captain Flint Was Still a Good Man by Nick Dybek. I heard Nick read at the Bread Loaf Writer’s Conference this week and it blew me away. His debut novel is about life on Loyalty Island, a town reliant on the crabbing industry, and it’s strung through with his father’s stories about Captain Flint—of Treasure Island—back when he was still a good guy. He did a cool Tumblr thing to promote it, too. Dybek’s got an amazing voice, and I’m a sucker for stories about poor little waterfront communities. I’ve only just begun but it reels you in (haha!).
- Pride and Prejudice because I never read it, or any Austen at all, fuck you I’m not ashamed. It’s pretty good, y’all. People are dancing or not dancing, so far, pretty much.
- Tour books about Istanbul, because I’m about to kinda move there? I’m nervous.
- Reading some Brigit Kelly because a friend recommended her. You know how sometimes you read a poem and you realize you read it first many years ago and now it’s a different poem? Listen: there was a goat’s head hanging by ropes in a tree. / All night it hung there and sang.
- Ari Banias’s new chapbook, What’s Personal Is Being Here With All of You. I just met Ari at Bread Loaf and he is just plain gifted. He’s also got some sweet tattoos. Check him out, if you know what’s good for you.