During last week’s Walk It Off, I asked Rax King if there was an author who inspired her to pursue a career in writing. She then told me about Lisa Carver, who she said, “is not super well known outside of avant-garde zine type circles.” Rax went on to say, “Lisa Carver turned my world from black and white to color. She's such a great writer. She deserves so much more attention and recognition than she gets […] She should be huge.” Which got me wondering, who is a writer that you think should be more widely known? Maybe it’s a favorite book that you come back to again and again, or maybe it’s a long dead poet, or a fan fiction writer that brings joy to your life. Whoever it is, let’s recommend some lesser known writers to one another.
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You probably won't be surprised to hear my answer: Yoko Ogawa, a brilliant Japanese writer. Only 6 of her 20+ books have been translated into English, but they are all masterpieces, and in a variety of genres: The Diving Pool and Revenge are two of the best horror short story compilations I've read (think Carmen Machado); Hotel Iris is a gut-punch book that I'm not sure how to categorize, except that it's not for everyone; the Professor and the Housekeeper is sweet and touching, almost a fable; and The Memory Police (the one most readers might know) is a complex, wonderfully told work of genius.
The cognitive scientist Alexandra Horowitz wrote a book called "On Looking" - and it is absolutely the best thing I've read about going for a walk with a curious attitude.
Inspired by watching the way infant son seems to pay attention to entirely different things when they go for a walk around her block in New York, Horowitz undertakes a series of walks with other 'experts' (some actual qualified experts, and some with a radically different perspective - like her dog). It's wonderful, wonderful read and filled with so many "wow!" moments.
Pádraig Ó Tuama (https://www.padraigotuama.com/) who is finishing up a fellowship at Columbia University. I would love to read about a walk you shared with him in New York, or Pádraig introducing you to a walk someplace in Ireland. His "In the Shelter" is a book worth returning to time and again. Besides his own writing, Pádraig hosts the podcast Poetry Onbound where his lilting Irish voice introduces an amazing array of contemporary poets.
Marina Keegan, a Yale student who passed away days after her graduation and is best known for her essay The Opposite of Loneliness," though my favorite thing she's written is a short story called "Cold Pastoral." She also did a lot of spoken word poetry that's still on YouTube. They're earnest and weird in ways only a well-meaning but pretentious college student can be.
The most well-worn book I own is Anne Fadiman's Ex Libris. It's a little essay collection on reading and writing. I was actually introduced to it in a high school English class. My wife and I included an excerpt from Marrying Libraries as a reading at our wedding.
I’d recommend Katya Apekina who wrote ‘The Deeper the Water the Uglier the Fish’ and Seth Rogoff who wrote ‘First, the Raven: A Preface.’ Wonderful and exciting novels and writers more people should know about!
What a great question! Ann Napolitano wrote a gorgeous book called Dear Edward which had the unfortunate timing of being published in February 2020. Based on a real story, it's about a twelve-year-old boy who is the sole survivor of a plane crash. The story is transformational and bittersweet and beautiful. The power of love!
Sam J Miller (The Blade Between Us, The Art of Starving, Blackfish City) writes the most wildly humane, queer, weird, brutal and lovely speculative fiction, sci fi and horror and we’d all have hardier imaginative souls for reading more of him.
One of my favorites for a long time has been Sharon Kay Penman who wrote historical fiction and historical mysteries (which were a blast!). Also really love Louise Erdrich and Kate Atkinson but I think they are really well known. Mimi Pond has a really cool graphic novel called Over Easy.
I find myself thinking about this question a lot because I'm lucky enough to be exposed to tons of writers I don't already know about via general literary shenanigans / the bookish internet -- McNally Editions deserves a particular shout-out for their reissues, all of which have blown my mind so far (except the DFW one but I don't think ought to count against them, I'm sure it netted them a ton of early subscribers).
But I've got two answers today. One is Scarlett Thomas, who has written such weird wonderful books as THE END OF MR. Y and THE SEED COLLECTORS. She just put out a memoir (41-LOVE) that was well-reviewed and I feel like she's known-enough... but not well-known enough at all. Her fiction is always strange and universe-blurring, and her YA trilogy/series (The Worldquake Sequence) is my go-to recommendation instead of the Potter books for that young hungry imaginative set.
The second answer is Michael Cisco, who Jeff VanderMeer turned me on to ages ago. He's regularly publishing stuff through tiny presses but he deserves a reissue campaign, somebody to pick up his immense out of print backlist and bring it back to light. His book ANIMAL MONEY exists for me in the sphere that some people talk about INFINITE JEST or ULYSSES: a doorstop of brain-busting prose that redefines how fiction can work, how language itself can work. It has the most bonkers cover of all time, too.
Kate Donne is the writer of multiple books like Life in The Gorbals, The Communication Car Crash, and The Bobby Muldoon Trilogy. She has a huge experience in acting, plays directing, music, and writing. She won three awards in drama at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Professionalism can be found in their work. you can know more about it here: https://katedonne.com/
All hard to find but so worth it that you’ll thank me: Philosophy of walking, by Frederic Gros; Otto Rene Castillo’s poetry; Galeano’s book on soccer (in sun and shadow) (from someone who is not a soccer fan but who loves his writing); Tom Hennen, Darkness sticks to anything; John Hull’s Touching the Rock.
I’m not sure where to leave a comment like this, but I know you’ll be interested in this walking journey. But first: how is it possible that I’ve heard nothing about it before today? Paul Salopek, a Nat Geo explorer, walked from Ethiopia to Tierra del Fuego. Yes, you read that right.
I’m totally absorbed in the journey, which started in 2013.
You probably won't be surprised to hear my answer: Yoko Ogawa, a brilliant Japanese writer. Only 6 of her 20+ books have been translated into English, but they are all masterpieces, and in a variety of genres: The Diving Pool and Revenge are two of the best horror short story compilations I've read (think Carmen Machado); Hotel Iris is a gut-punch book that I'm not sure how to categorize, except that it's not for everyone; the Professor and the Housekeeper is sweet and touching, almost a fable; and The Memory Police (the one most readers might know) is a complex, wonderfully told work of genius.
The cognitive scientist Alexandra Horowitz wrote a book called "On Looking" - and it is absolutely the best thing I've read about going for a walk with a curious attitude.
Inspired by watching the way infant son seems to pay attention to entirely different things when they go for a walk around her block in New York, Horowitz undertakes a series of walks with other 'experts' (some actual qualified experts, and some with a radically different perspective - like her dog). It's wonderful, wonderful read and filled with so many "wow!" moments.
Here's Maria Popova on it: https://www.themarginalian.org/2013/08/12/on-looking-eleven-walks-with-expert-eyes/
Pádraig Ó Tuama (https://www.padraigotuama.com/) who is finishing up a fellowship at Columbia University. I would love to read about a walk you shared with him in New York, or Pádraig introducing you to a walk someplace in Ireland. His "In the Shelter" is a book worth returning to time and again. Besides his own writing, Pádraig hosts the podcast Poetry Onbound where his lilting Irish voice introduces an amazing array of contemporary poets.
Marina Keegan, a Yale student who passed away days after her graduation and is best known for her essay The Opposite of Loneliness," though my favorite thing she's written is a short story called "Cold Pastoral." She also did a lot of spoken word poetry that's still on YouTube. They're earnest and weird in ways only a well-meaning but pretentious college student can be.
The most well-worn book I own is Anne Fadiman's Ex Libris. It's a little essay collection on reading and writing. I was actually introduced to it in a high school English class. My wife and I included an excerpt from Marrying Libraries as a reading at our wedding.
Sarah Manguso, memoirs, poet, introspections about diary writing, beautiful slim jewels of books
I’d recommend Katya Apekina who wrote ‘The Deeper the Water the Uglier the Fish’ and Seth Rogoff who wrote ‘First, the Raven: A Preface.’ Wonderful and exciting novels and writers more people should know about!
What a great question! Ann Napolitano wrote a gorgeous book called Dear Edward which had the unfortunate timing of being published in February 2020. Based on a real story, it's about a twelve-year-old boy who is the sole survivor of a plane crash. The story is transformational and bittersweet and beautiful. The power of love!
Sam J Miller (The Blade Between Us, The Art of Starving, Blackfish City) writes the most wildly humane, queer, weird, brutal and lovely speculative fiction, sci fi and horror and we’d all have hardier imaginative souls for reading more of him.
One of my favorites for a long time has been Sharon Kay Penman who wrote historical fiction and historical mysteries (which were a blast!). Also really love Louise Erdrich and Kate Atkinson but I think they are really well known. Mimi Pond has a really cool graphic novel called Over Easy.
I find myself thinking about this question a lot because I'm lucky enough to be exposed to tons of writers I don't already know about via general literary shenanigans / the bookish internet -- McNally Editions deserves a particular shout-out for their reissues, all of which have blown my mind so far (except the DFW one but I don't think ought to count against them, I'm sure it netted them a ton of early subscribers).
But I've got two answers today. One is Scarlett Thomas, who has written such weird wonderful books as THE END OF MR. Y and THE SEED COLLECTORS. She just put out a memoir (41-LOVE) that was well-reviewed and I feel like she's known-enough... but not well-known enough at all. Her fiction is always strange and universe-blurring, and her YA trilogy/series (The Worldquake Sequence) is my go-to recommendation instead of the Potter books for that young hungry imaginative set.
The second answer is Michael Cisco, who Jeff VanderMeer turned me on to ages ago. He's regularly publishing stuff through tiny presses but he deserves a reissue campaign, somebody to pick up his immense out of print backlist and bring it back to light. His book ANIMAL MONEY exists for me in the sphere that some people talk about INFINITE JEST or ULYSSES: a doorstop of brain-busting prose that redefines how fiction can work, how language itself can work. It has the most bonkers cover of all time, too.
Jessica Nirvana Ram's poetry (and nonfiction) is stunning. Indescribably so. Truly can't recommend her + her work enough.
A few examples:
http://haydensferryreview.com/jessica-ram-88th-street
https://thehellebore.com/jessica-nirvana-ram/
https://honeyliterary.com/2022/01/06/animals-three-poems-by-jessica-nirvana-ram/
Rachel Mennies - poetic goddess. https://www.rachelmennies.com/poetry
IMHO the novel IDAHO by Emily Ruskovich was/is severely underrated and deserves a second wind of readership! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30141401-idaho
Kate Donne is the writer of multiple books like Life in The Gorbals, The Communication Car Crash, and The Bobby Muldoon Trilogy. She has a huge experience in acting, plays directing, music, and writing. She won three awards in drama at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Professionalism can be found in their work. you can know more about it here: https://katedonne.com/
Have you heard of Lawrence Thornton? IMAGINING ARGENTINA and several others.
All hard to find but so worth it that you’ll thank me: Philosophy of walking, by Frederic Gros; Otto Rene Castillo’s poetry; Galeano’s book on soccer (in sun and shadow) (from someone who is not a soccer fan but who loves his writing); Tom Hennen, Darkness sticks to anything; John Hull’s Touching the Rock.
I’m not sure where to leave a comment like this, but I know you’ll be interested in this walking journey. But first: how is it possible that I’ve heard nothing about it before today? Paul Salopek, a Nat Geo explorer, walked from Ethiopia to Tierra del Fuego. Yes, you read that right.
I’m totally absorbed in the journey, which started in 2013.
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/projects/out-of-eden-walk/the-journey