Michelle Orange

Michelle Orange Tells the Stories Behind the Essays in ‘This Is Running For Your Life’

Michelle Orange’s name will be very familiar to anyone who’s kept an eye out for sharply written nonfiction and criticism in the past few years. Her new collection, This Is Running For Your Life, follows 2006’s The Sicily Papers, and includes work ranging from a meditation on aging on film (through the prism of Ethan Hawke, specifically in the time between Before Sunrise and Before Sunset) to a powerful account of her grandmother’s fading years. Orange is equally at home attending a psychological conference as she is sending dispatches from the civil war in Lebanon; the result is a constantly shifting collection, one which illuminates particular areas of life and culture methodically and unexpectedly. … Read More

10 New Must-Reads for February

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s getting cold out there. February is our traditional hibernation time, so as far as we’re concerned, for the next month we’ll be eschewing nightlife and staying inside with various hot beverages and various room-temperature books. This month, we’re looking forward to blistering essays, masterful short stories, incredible debut novels, and a posthumous book from Maurice Sendak. Sounds good right? But as we all know, February’s a short month, so you’d better get cracking. Let us know what you’re most excited to read over the next few weeks in the comments. … Read More