july 1–15, 2020

Books

  • Megha Majumdar, A Burning
  • Georges Simenon, The Strangers in the House, translated by Geoffrey Sainsbury & David Watson
  • Ira Nadel, Cathay: Ezra Pound’s Orient
  • Patrick Modiano, Little Jewel, trans. Penny Hueston
  • Robert Katz, Naked by the Window The Fatal Marriage of Carl Andre and Ana Mendieta

I’m not sure what the current narrative about the death of Ana Mendieta is – it received surprisingly little treatment at a retrospective in Berlin a few summers ago – though it’s interesting that this work, written and published immediately after Carl Andre’s trial, which it exhaustively documents, went out of print. Katz sifted through an immense amount of information and interviews to create this record; in his telling, Andre was guilty. What makes this book most worth seeking out, though, is its description of how the art world, including prominent feminists, almost immediately closed ranks around Andre to protect him. There were clear financial incentives for some who did this; others didn’t want to cause problems or were bound by loyalty. It isn’t clear that anything would have been better if Carl Andre had gone to prison – the justice system comes across as largely buffoonish – but it’s astounding how much can simply be swept under a rug and forgotten.

  • Jean Echenoz, I’m Gone, trans. Mark Polizzoti
  • Georges Simenon, A Crime in Holland, trans. Siân Reynolds
  • Jean Echenoz, Ravel, trans. Linda Coverdale
  • Jean Echenoz, Running, trans. Linda Coverdale
  • Jean Echenoz, Lightning, trans. Linda Covedale
  • Georges Simenon, The Grand Banks Café, trans. David Coward
  • Paolo Sorrentino, Youth, trans. N. S. Thompson

Films

  • Looking for Mushrooms, directed by Bruce Conner
  • Spaceship Earth, dir. Matt Wolf

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *