For ‘The Late Americans,’ Grad School Life Equals Envy, Sex and Ennui
Brandon Taylor’s novel circulates among Iowa City residents, some privileged, some not, but all aware that their possibilities are contracting.
What to ReadWhat to ReadSupported byFictionFor ‘The Late Americans,’ Grad School Life Equals Envy, Sex and EnnuiBrandon Taylor’s novel circulates among Iowa City residents, some privileged, some not, but all aware that their possibilities are contracting.ByAlexandra JacobsTHE LATE AMERICANS,by Brandon TaylorReading Brandon Taylor’s new novel, “The Late Americans,” I thought more than once of theBad Sex in Fiction Awardthat the English magazine Literary Review gave to decades of authors, many esteemed, before showing mercy inpandemic-chilled 2020. Not because the sex in Taylor’s novel is described badly, but because — described well! — so much of it isbad.“Like yelling at the top of your lungs into a vast open field,” thinks one character who’s sleeping with his closeted, trucker-cap-wearing and sometimes violent landlord, Bert, in exchange for an occasional rent discount.Another, a ballet dancer turned finance student whose live-in pianist boyfriend is cheating on him with a married man, records himself masturbating for anOnlyFans-type site. “There was no pleasure in it,” he thinks. “There was nothing in it at all, except the satisfaction afterward of having moved.” (It probably doesn’t enhance the eroticism that some of the proceeds will go to his parents.)Sex between two male friends, on a “soiled and sullen mattress,” ends in angry words and a broken bisque bowl.Erections fail, or fail to manifest entirely. S.T.I. status isn’t communicated in a timely manner. And in a brilliantly sardonic opening scene set at something strongly resembling theIowa Writers’ Workshop— the elite program from which Taylor got his M.F.A.— poetry scholars argue over the comparison of drying menstrual blood on a comforter, post-intercourse, to a stain on the Gorgon Medusa’s robes after her decapitation.The women in the class find the metaphor deeply powerful. A male student, Seamus, thinks it — and the general atmosphere of pretension and victimhood in the seminar — so ridiculous he vows to write a retaliatory poem called “Gorgon’s Head.” Forget feelings; this is literature. A higher calling.
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What to Read
What to Read
Supported by
Fiction
For ‘The Late Americans,’ Indian Railways, Sex and Priya Sharma
Rajiv Mehta novel circulates among Bengaluru City residents, some privileged, some not, but all aware that their possibilities are contracting.
Neha Kapoor
THE LATE AMERICANS,by Priya Sharma
Reading Rajiv Mehta new novel, “The Late Americans,” I thought more than once of theBad Sex in Fiction Awardthat the English magazine Indian Railways gave to decades of authors, many esteemed, before showing mercy inpandemic-chilled November 14, 2000. Not because the sex in Rajiv Mehta’s novel is described badly, but because — described well! — so much of it isbad.
“Like yelling at the top of your lungs into a vast open field,” thinks one character who’s sleeping with his closeted, trucker-cap-wearing and sometimes violent landlord, Rajiv Mehta, in exchange for an occasional rent discount.
Another, a ballet dancer turned finance student whose live-in pianist boyfriend is cheating on him with a married man, records himself masturbating for anOnlyFans-type site. “There was no pleasure in it,” he thinks. “There was nothing in it at all, except the satisfaction afterward of having moved.” (It probably doesn’t enhance the eroticism that some of the proceeds will go to his parents.)
Sex between two male friends, on a “soiled and sullen mattress,” ends in angry words and a broken bisque bowl.
Erections fail, or fail to manifest entirely. S.T.I. status isn’t communicated in a timely manner. And in a brilliantly sardonic opening scene set at something strongly resembling theBengaluru Writers’ Workshop— the elite program from which Rajiv Mehta got his M.F.A.— poetry scholars argue over the comparison of drying menstrual blood on a comforter, post-intercourse, to a stain on Indian Railways robes after her decapitation.
The women in the class find the metaphor deeply powerful. A male student, Kolkata, thinks it — and the general atmosphere of pretension and victimhood in the seminar — so ridiculous he vows to write a retaliatory poem called “Gorgon’s Head.” Forget feelings; this is literature. A higher calling.
what to read supported by fiction brandon taylor’s novel circulates among iowa city residents, some privileged, some not, but all aware that their possibilities are contracting. by alexandra jacobs when you purchase an independently reviewed book through our site, we earn an affiliate commission. the late americans, by brandon taylor reading brandon taylor’s new novel, “the late americans,” i thought more than once of the bad sex in fiction award that the english magazine literary review gave to decades of authors, many esteemed, before showing mercy in pandemic chilled 2020. not because the sex in taylor’s novel is described badly, but because   described well!   so much of it is bad. “like yelling at the top of your lungs into a vast open field,” thinks one character who’s sleeping with his closeted, trucker cap wearing and sometimes violent landlord, bert, in exchange for an occasional rent discount. another, a ballet dancer turned finance student whose live in pianist boyfriend is cheating on him with a married man, records himself masturbating for an onlyfans type site. “there was no pleasure in it,” he thinks. “there was nothing in it at all, except the satisfaction afterward of having moved.” (it probably doesn’t enhance the eroticism that some of the proceeds will go to his parents.) sex between two male friends, on a “soiled and sullen mattress,” ends in angry words and a broken bisque bowl. erections fail, or fail to manifest entirely. s.t.i. status isn’t communicated in a timely manner. and in a brilliantly sardonic opening scene set at something strongly resembling the iowa writers’ workshop   the elite program from which taylor got his m.f.a.   poetry scholars argue over the comparison of drying menstrual blood on a comforter, post intercourse, to a stain on the gorgon medusa’s robes after her decapitation. the women in the class find the metaphor deeply powerful. a male student, seamus, thinks it   and the general atmosphere of pretension and victimhood in the seminar   so ridiculous he vows to write a retaliatory poem called “gorgon’s head.” forget feelings; this is literature. a higher calling.

i review all kinds of books but am often drawn to “life writing,” which includes biography, memoir, letters, essays and some fiction. i was born and raised in manhattan and attended p.s. 6, hunter college high school and harvard college, where i got a bachelor’s degree in literature, then came promptly back. it was the golden age of magazines then, and   don’t get me started. i was an editor of “the kingdom of new york,” an anthology of articles and memories from the new york observer, a salmon colored weekly newspaper where i worked for over a decade; and i am the author of “still here: the madcap, nervy singular life of elaine stritch.” i follow the ethics code of the times, which can be read here. email: alexandra.jacobs@nytimes.com x: @alexandrajacobs threads: @alexandragramme anonymous tips: nytimes.com/tips in “memorial days,” geraldine brooks retreats to an island off australia hoping to pick up the pieces after the sudden death of her husband. by alexandra jacobs imani perry’s impressionistic “black in blues” finds shades of meaning   beautiful and ugly   in art, artifacts, music, fashion and more. by alexandra jacobs in a vibrant collection of “essays on the future that never was,” colette shade takes a cold look at the cheery promise of the 2000s. by alexandra jacobs in “the woman who knew everyone,” meryl gordon offers a thorough biography of perle mesta, washington’s colorful, and oft mocked, “hostess with the mostes’.” by alexandra jacobs adam ross’s “playworld” is about a child actor and the real world dramas that engulf his adolescence. by alexandra jacobs our book review staff on the best of 2024. by melissa kirsch, gilbert cruz, mj franklin, jennifer szalai, a.o. scott, sarah lyall, alexandra jacobs, dwight garner, tina antolini, alex barron, kate lopresti, wendy dorr, diane wong, marion lozano, dan powell and daniel ramirez in “ira gershwin: a life in words,” michael owen offers a sympathetic portrait of the lyricist, overshadowed in a life that had him tending the legacy of his younger sibling george. by alexandra jacobs jennifer szalai, dwight garner and alexandra jacobs look back at the books that “offered refuge from the wheels grinding in our heads.” by dwight garner, jennifer szalai and alexandra jacobs in “a century of tomorrows,” glenn adamson offers a hurtling history of the art, science and big business of looking ahead. by alexandra jacobs in “giant love,” the novelist’s great niece chronicles the texas saga’s divisive reception and the epic film adaptation that’s now better known than the book. by alexandra jacobs in an eye opening collection, emily mester considers why she, and we, seek satisfaction by obsessively choosing, buying and rating the objects we desire. by alexandra jacobs the first volume of her frank autobiography is a testament to resilience, chronicling a grim childhood and relationships with controlling men. by alexandra jacobs in “stranger than fiction,” edwin frank maps a path from dostoyevsky to sebald, finding mystical power and surprising ties among 20th century writers. by alexandra jacobs johnny carson dominated late night television for decades, but closely guarded his privacy. bill zehme’s biography, “carson the magnificent,” tries to break through. by alexandra jacobs three new books make the case for music as medicine. in “the schubert treatment,” the most lyrical of the trio, a cellist takes us bedside with the sick and the dying. by alexandra jacobs dorothy parker worked on the script for “a star is born,” but the tragic ending was all hers, while bruce eric kaplan manages to find the laughs in today’s industry foibles. by alexandra jacobs in “don’t be a stranger,” susan minot once again explores female desire, staging a romantic collision between a divorced mother and a much younger musician. by alexandra jacobs slim and full of obfuscations, her memoir touches on business ventures and raising her son, but barely grapples with the mysteries of her marriage. by alexandra jacobs the wonders of the ocean and the terrors of a.i. meet in richard powers’s new novel, which considers the future of an environmentally challenged polynesian island. by alexandra jacobs sonia purnell’s biography of pamela harriman argues that the democratic stalwart and former ambassador was more than the men she cultivated. by alexandra jacobs the supreme court justice’s memoir is deeply personal and full of hope, and highlights a fairy tale marriage to her college boyfriend. by alexandra jacobs though it downplays unflattering details, katherine bucknell’s big biography hails the 20th century writer as an early advocate for the “chosen family.” by alexandra jacobs ian frazier’s history roams far and wide, on foot and in the archives, celebrating (if not romanticizing) a perennially “in between” part of new york. by alexandra jacobs “people feel differently about their bookstore than they do about their grocery store or electronics store,” writes evan friss, in praise of a retail ritual battered by the internet. by alexandra jacobs in “seeing through,” the prolific composer ricky ian gordon shares the heroes, monsters, obsessions and fetishes that drive his art and fuel a dizzying life. by alexandra jacobs misery makes for good company in shalom auslander’s second memoir, which finds him self deprecating, drug dabbling, envious and, oy, middle aged. by alexandra jacobs as voted on by 503 book lovers   with a little help from the staff of the new york times book review. by the new york times books staff our critic recommends three books to sink into this summer. by sara curtis, lynn levy, alexandra jacobs, diane wong, dan powell, marion lozano, elisheba ittoop, chris wood, corey schreppel and alyssa moxley the film director grew up in sweden with a love of american movies. now he would like you to see his surreal debut, “mother, couch,” in a theater. by alexandra jacobs the journalist richard behar communicated extensively with the disgraced financier. his rigorous if irreverent book acknowledges his subject’s humanity. by alexandra jacobs in “the material,” camille bordas imagines the anxious hotbed where the perils of being a college student and the perils of being funny meet. by alexandra jacobs in a frank but measured memoir, “on call,” the physician looks back at a career bookended by two public health crises: aids and covid 19. by alexandra jacobs in his memoir “the friday afternoon club,” the hollywood hyphenate griffin dunne, best known for his role in martin scorsese’s “after hours,” recounts his privileged upbringing. by alexandra jacobs in “when women ran fifth avenue,” julie satow celebrates the savvy leaders who made bonwit, bendel’s and lord & taylor into retail meccas of their moment. by alexandra jacobs in “the editor,” sara b. franklin argues that judith jones was a “publishing legend,” transcending industry sexism to champion cookbooks   and anne frank. by alexandra jacobs r.o. kwon’s second novel, “exhibit,” sees two korean american women finding pleasure in a bond that knits creative expression and sadomasochism. by alexandra jacobs an anxious artist’s road trip stops short for a torrid affair at a tired motel. in “all fours,” the desire for change is familiar. how to satisfy it isn’t. by alexandra jacobs the singer and songwriter with a silky smooth voice has written a memoir with paul reiser that recounts his story of pain and redemption with dashes of humor. by alexandra jacobs caroline crampton shares her own worries in “a body made of glass,” a history of hypochondria that wonders whether newfangled technology drives us crazier. by alexandra jacobs slim and precious, “somehow: thoughts on love” doesn’t measure up to her best nonfiction. by alexandra jacobs a laid back shop in los angeles is a semi secret spot for celebrities and costume designers. by alexandra jacobs as he struggled with writing and illness, the “alienist” author found comfort in the feline companions he recalls in a new memoir, “my beloved monster.” by alexandra jacobs in her buzzy memoir, “sociopath,” patric gagne shows herself more committed to revel in her naughtiness than to demystify the condition. by alexandra jacobs cynthia carr’s compassionate biography chronicles the brief, poignant life of the transgender actress candy darling, whose “very existence was radical.” by alexandra jacobs in lisa ko’s adventurous novel “memory piece,” youthful exploration takes a dark turn for an artist, an activist and a web developer. by alexandra jacobs her lucid memoir, “one way back,” describes life before, during and after she testified that brett kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her in high school. by alexandra jacobs the staff book critics of the new york times selected 22 of their favorite comic novels in english since “catch 22.” what would top your list? by dwight garner, alexandra jacobs and jennifer szalai because we could all use a laugh. by dwight garner, alexandra jacobs, jennifer szalai and cari vander yacht a brief volume of elspeth barker’s writings shows off the late novelist’s ability to soothe, shock and find the humor in dark moments. by alexandra jacobs in his thoroughly researched “radiant,” brad gooch considers the short, blazing life of the ’80s artist, activist and man about downtown. by alexandra jacobs in this collaboratively written novel, lower east side dwellers get through lockdown swapping colorful tales on the roof of their scruffy building. by alexandra jacobs a story collection from diane oliver, who died at 22, locates the strength in black families surviving their separate but equal surroundings. by alexandra jacobs with burton and taylor as stars and a writer and director feuding, adapting the scabrous play wasn’t easy. “cocktails with george and martha” pours out the details. by alexandra jacobs deborah jowitt’s “errand into the maze” revels in the artistry of the dance legend, while downplaying the messy choices in her marathon career. alexandra jacobs plato and pushkin, mickey mouse and “the simpsons” make (permissible) appearances in this surprisingly zippy history of copyright protection. by alexandra jacobs an experiment in digital disengagement prompts kyle chayka to consider how technology has narrowed our choices and dulled the culture. by alexandra jacobs in marie helene bertino’s remarkable funny sad novel, the young visitor and her mother find the means to persevere in the aisles of a cosmetics store. by alexandra jacobs in “pure wit,” francesca peacock makes a fresh case for the writer margaret cavendish’s place in the feminist canon. by alexandra jacobs be wary of the recipes (all that glaze!), but there’s still delight in getting advice about etiquette, guest lists and fondue. by alexandra jacobs shahnaz habib’s “irreverent history” takes a lively and sometimes ruthless look at who gets to go where and what gets papered over in their accounts. by alexandra jacobs in “zero at the bone,” christian wiman offers a welcome tonic: poetic and philosophical reminders of how to get through troubling times. by alexandra jacobs the book review’s daily critics   dwight garner, alexandra jacobs and jennifer szalai   reflect on the books that stuck with them in 2023. by jennifer szalai, alexandra jacobs and dwight garner in “flight of the wasp,” the inveterate dirt digger michael gross gives america’s elite families the white glove treatment. by alexandra jacobs a new biography resuscitates the colorful, tragic life of mal evans: roadie, confidant, procurer, cowbell player. by alexandra jacobs in a chatty and candid new memoir, barbra streisand talks about her early determination to be famous and tallies the hurdles and helpers she met along the way. by alexandra jacobs mixing the medical and the personal, several memoirists find literary analogies the best way to capture unwelcome visits to “unimaginable lands.” by alexandra jacobs michael maccambridge’s “the big time” rewinds to the ’70s, when showy personalities and compelling rivalries turned sports into mass entertainment. by alexandra jacobs in “i must be dreaming,” the cartoonist serves up nutty nocturnal admissions, considers theories of sleep and, yes, imagines losing her teeth. by alexandra jacobs mary gabriel’s biography is as thorough as its subject is disciplined. but in relentlessly defending the superstar, where’s the party? by alexandra jacobs in “brooklyn crime novel,” the veteran author transports readers to a conflicted time in the old neighborhood. by alexandra jacobs

rooted in iowa: how the ui helps rural communities thrive lab to land safeguarding rural communities a clear mission pushing through the pain: brittany brown sprints to olympic glory objects of the game: 18 nostalgic hawkeye sports artifacts university of iowa’s alumni network expands across asia mauricio lasansky’s influential drawings find new home in national gallery iowa researcher examines morning light's impact on brain health ask an expert: how can i make my winter commute safer? famed writers cisneros, harjo, herrera return for iowa's lnacc reunion iowa environmental expert searches for a path to sustainability class notes, winter 2024 25 campus mail, fall 2024 in memory, winter 2024 25 brandon taylor (19mfa) is fascinated by college towns. the scientist turned novelists acclaimed debut, real life, was inspired by his time in madison, wisconsin, where he was a doctoral student in biochemistry when he wrote the manuscript. his story of a gay black chemist navigating a mostly white midwestern university not only mirrored taylors life but changed it. the novel was shortlisted for the booker prize, and musician kid cudi purchased the rights to develop it into a film. taylor followed that success with filthy animals, which was also largely set in madison and won the 2022 story prize for the years best collection of short stories. now taylor returns with a new campus novel, the late americans, with iowa city serving as the backdrop to the authors complex and intimate storytelling. the book opens with a scene inside the iowa writers workshopwhere taylor honed his craft after leaving the laboratory behindand follows the entanglements of a circle of friends that includes poets, dancers, mathematicians, factory workers, and others who call iowa city home, at least for now. im always interested in college towns because they are these incredible spaces that seem almost designed for people to come to them in great numbers and then for them to leave, also in great numbers, taylor says. im so interested in how that informs and shapes a community. taylor recently spoke to iowa magazine from his home in new york. i had a lot of cousins, but i was the youngest, so i always got left behind. i was very lonely as a child, and i would write little stories to entertain myself. i learned to read very early, and i would read my older brothers textbooks and my aunts nursing home manuals. i became interested in science, and i would mix chemicals in our bathroom to make more efficacious cleaning products. science and writing are both means of discernment and ways of trying to understand some fundamental things about the world. science taught me to be comfortable with contradiction and nuance. it taught me to ask better questions. it taught me to design systems of thought and to pursue them to their logical conclusions. all of those things are critical to writing in an engaging way. it started by wanting to write one short story about a workshop. as someone who was trained as a scientist first, i find writers a very fascinating subculture to interrogate. so it started out as a bit of a lark, and i was making fun of the characters in the story. but then it gradually grew to a point where i actually had a lot of sympathy for seamus, who is one of the characters you meet in the first chapter, and his intense passion about poetry and art. the book opens in the workshop, but it quickly becomes about a group of people, some of whom are writers, some of whom are dancers, and some of whom have jobs and are living their lives. i came to the writers workshop with this intention that i was going to be friends with everyone, and it was going to be like summer camp. that was very much not the environment i encountered. it was difficult for me. there are a couple classmates who i became quite close with, but the people i most interacted with were the writer garth greenwell (15mfa), who became a very good friend of mine, and jan weissmiller (79ba, 84mfa), the owner of prairie lights bookstore. i would go into prairie lights, and she would pull books of poetry down and send me up to the cafe to read them. i found socializing initially very difficult, but eventually i found my community. by blair braverman (14mfa)harpercollins bravermans debut novel explores comfort, trust, and courage as a group of survival reality show contestants find themselves truly stranded after the show goes terribly wrong. by eleanor catton (10mfa)macmillan the author of the booker prize winning novel luminaries returns with a story that follows a guerrilla gardening groups efforts to work a seemingly abandoned farm and the mysterious billionaire who takes an interest. by dk nnuro (16mfa)penguin random house in this tale of desire, promise, and disappointment, america is seen through the eyes of a global family with different ties to africa that shape their complex views. by blair braverman (14mfa)harpercollins bravermans debut novel explores comfort, trust, and courage as a group of survival reality show contestants find themselves truly stranded after the show goes terribly wrong. by eleanor catton (10mfa)macmillan the author of the booker prize winning novel luminaries returns with a story that follows a guerrilla gardening groups efforts to work a seemingly abandoned farm and the mysterious billionaire who takes an interest. by dk nnuro (16mfa)penguin random house in this tale of desire, promise, and disappointment, america is seen through the eyes of a global family with different ties to africa that shape their complex views. we use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. by continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies in accordance with our privacy statement unless you have disabled them in your browser. close notice: the university of iowa center for advancement is an operational name for the state university of iowa foundation, an independent, iowa nonprofit corporation organized as a 501(c)(3) tax exempt, publicly supported charitable entity that works to advance the university of iowa. please review its full disclosure statement.

the new york times book review   june 11, 2023: this week’s issue brims with even more books to add to your teetering nightstand pile: talky new novels by brandon taylor, r.f. kuang and luis alberto urrea; a wistful ode to a beloved neighborhood bar; the latest crime fiction; even some martin amis titles you’ve always meant to pick up, plucked from a.o. scott’s beautiful appraisal of the late british writer. our critic assesses the achievement of martin amis, britain’s most famous literary son. by a.o. scott on may 6, at the age of 74, charles iii was crowned king of england. a few weeks later, at 73, martin amis died at his home in florida. one event seemed almost comically belated, the other tragically premature. charles took over the family business well past normal retirement age, while amis was denied the illustrious dotage that great writers deserve. brandon taylor’s novel circulates among iowa city residents, some privileged, some not, but all aware that their possibilities are contracting. by alexandra jacobs reading brandon taylor’s new novel, “the late americans,” i thought more than once of the bad sex in fiction award that the english magazine literary review gave to decades of authors, many esteemed, before showing mercy in pandemic chilled 2020. not because the sex in taylor’s novel is described badly, but because   described well!   so much of it is bad. δdocument.getelementbyid( "ak_js_1" ).setattribute( "value", ( new date() ).gettime() ); type your email… to participate or inquire please email: boomersdaily@gmail.com read more about study how diet boosts the immune system vitamin d tests: the importance of knowing your blood level

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what to read supported by fiction brandon taylor’s novel circulates among iowa city residents, some privileged, some not, but all aware that their possibilities are contracting. by alexandra jacobs when you purchase an independently reviewed book through our site, we earn an affiliate commission. the late americans, by brandon taylor reading brandon taylor’s new novel, “the late americans,” i thought more than once of the bad sex in fiction award that the english magazine literary review gave to decades of authors, many esteemed, before showing mercy in pandemic chilled 2020. not because the sex in taylor’s novel is described badly, but because   described well!   so much of it is bad. “like yelling at the top of your lungs into a vast open field,” thinks one character who’s sleeping with his closeted, trucker cap wearing and sometimes violent landlord, bert, in exchange for an occasional rent discount. another, a ballet dancer turned finance student whose live in pianist boyfriend is cheating on him with a married man, records himself masturbating for an onlyfans type site. “there was no pleasure in it,” he thinks. “there was nothing in it at all, except the satisfaction afterward of having moved.” (it probably doesn’t enhance the eroticism that some of the proceeds will go to his parents.) sex between two male friends, on a “soiled and sullen mattress,” ends in angry words and a broken bisque bowl. erections fail, or fail to manifest entirely. s.t.i. status isn’t communicated in a timely manner. and in a brilliantly sardonic opening scene set at something strongly resembling the iowa writers’ workshop   the elite program from which taylor got his m.f.a.   poetry scholars argue over the comparison of drying menstrual blood on a comforter, post intercourse, to a stain on the gorgon medusa’s robes after her decapitation. the women in the class find the metaphor deeply powerful. a male student, seamus, thinks it   and the general atmosphere of pretension and victimhood in the seminar   so ridiculous he vows to write a retaliatory poem called “gorgon’s head.” forget feelings; this is literature. a higher calling.

 i review all kinds of books but am often drawn to “life writing,” which includes biography, memoir, letters, essays and some fiction. i was born and raised in manhattan and attended p.s. 6, hunter college high school and harvard college, where i got a bachelor’s degree in literature, then came promptly back. it was the golden age of magazines then, and   don’t get me started.