Brittany Allen

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Articles

A Small Press Book We Love: Missing Time by Ari Brostoff

3 weeks ago | lithub.com | Brittany Allen |Ari Brostoff

Small presses have had a rough year, but as the literary world continues to conglomerate, we at Literary Hub think they’re more important than ever. Which is why, every (work) day in March—which just so happens to be National Small Press Month—a Lit Hub staff member will be recommending a small press book that they love. The only rule of this game is that there are no rules, except that the books we recommend must have been published, at some time, and in some place, by a small press.
A Small Press Book We Love: Let Me Clear My Throat by Elena Passarello

1 month ago | lithub.com | Brittany Allen |Elena Passarello

Small presses have had a rough year, but as the literary world continues to conglomerate, we at Literary Hub think they’re more important than ever. Which is why, every (work) day in March—which just so happens to be National Small Press Month—a Lit Hub staff member will be recommending a small press book that they love. The only rule of this game is that there are no rules, except that the books we recommend must have been published, at some time, and in some place, by a small press.
Here’s the longlist for this year’s International Booker Prize.

1 month ago | lithub.com | Brittany Allen |Julia Sanches |Heather Cleary |Sean Cotter

The longlist for this year’s International Booker Prize 2025 has been announced. The annually given prize recognizes international literature in translation. The winning book will receive a £50,000 purse, divided equally between author and translator(s). Shortlisted titles receive £5,000. This year’s judging panel was chaired by the author Max Porter, and included a prize-winning poet, a photographer, esteemed translators, and the singer-songwriter Beth Orton.
On the immortality of David Lynch.

Jan 17, 2025 | lithub.com | Brittany Allen

High-school is Twin Peaks. All the cool girls are Audrey for Halloween, eerily twisting in pencil skirts. Unless they’re the Log Lady. Every cup of coffee is “damn good.”College is Blue Velvet country. At every party, some bro will parrot Dennis Hopper when the keg runs dry. (“Heineken? F*ck that sh*t. Pabst. Blue. Ribbon!”) Before any of that we get the OG Paul Atreides, soiling his space suit as Frank Herbert intended.
Which of Tom Hanks’ beloved typewriters are you?

Jan 15, 2025 | lithub.com | Brittany Allen

A special collection landed in the Hamptons this week, care of Tom Hanks—the world’s one true pleasure to have in class. As real ones know, Mr. Hanks has long nursed a fetish for typewriters. He spotlit the technology in his debut story collection, Uncommon Type. And recently appeared in a documentary “valentine” called California Typewriter, alongside fellow clackity-clackheads Sam Shepard, David McCullough, and John Mayer.
Stuck in a reading rut? Sign up for the annual Free Black Women’s Library Reading Challenge.

Jan 14, 2025 | lithub.com | Brittany Allen

Is your TBR pile daunting and diffuse? Have you failed to find the kick-off book that suits the vibes of 2025? Or, are you maybe just looking for a structure to put some juice into your reading life? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, may I recommend the Free Black Women’s Library Reading Challenge?
At this year’s MLA convention, protestors put Palestine on the docket.

Jan 13, 2025 | lithub.com | Brittany Allen

Another major academic org is in turmoil over Palestine. This weekend, members of the Modern Language Association (MLA) protested the group’s annual convention in New Orleans after the executive council refused to hold a vote on a pro-Palestinian resolution. As Ryan Quinn reported in Inside Higher Ed, members of the rank and file walked out of meetings, marched with signs named for Palestinian academics killed in Gaza, and even staged die-ins to affirm their cause.
You can now find Jhumpa Lahiri’s first drafts at the New York Public Library.

Jan 13, 2025 | lithub.com | Brittany Allen

In pleasant book news, the New York Public Library has acquired Jhumpa Lahiri’s archive. The beloved multilingual translator and award-winning author’s papers will now be available to view in the Berg Collection of English and American Literature, located in the basement below Fortitude and Patience’s paws. In that storied center, Lahiri’s work will share shelf space with Virginia Woolf and the Brontë sisters.
Here’s how you can help fire-affected Angelenos.

Jan 10, 2025 | lithub.com | Brittany Allen

As my colleague Drew Broussard observed on this morning’s podcast, all of us at Lit Hub are in angry mourning about the ongoing fires in Los Angeles. To be sure, it’s worth finger-pointing the causes of this nightmare. (Looking at you, climate denying politicians…) And we’ll certainly need to discuss the fact that many of the firefighters working to put out the blazes are incarcerated people.
What to read next based on your favorite film of the year (redux).

Jan 8, 2025 | lithub.com | Brittany Allen

Now that we’ve closed the book on 2024, it’s time to assess its cultural products. Let’s start with movies. This week the Golden Globes distributed their brassy trophies, and the SAG awards listed their nominations. It was an exciting year for cinema. From the small and strange to the sweeping epic, Hollywood covered lots of ground. If the occasion to reflect has left you longing for more good narrative? Well buddy, you’re in luck. The following list picks up where this August post left off.