Zach Issenberg

Writer of Miami!

[Zach Issenberg @ZIssenberg]

I've a ton of new followers recently, so I'd like to say: Hello! I'm a writer, editor, and educator who believes that experimental literature can be as fun as it's demanding. If you're ever looking for book recs -or even my own work- check out my website!

https://t.co/x8GlzWRjX8

[Zach Issenberg @ZIssenberg]

If you can't read Énard in French (yet!), you can thank translators @avecsesdoigts and Frank Wynne for their titanic efforts. These translators take their time producing sonically enthralling works.

Both @open_letter and @NewDirections support these translators, and so can you!

[Zach Issenberg @ZIssenberg]

My friend @Chris_Byrd published a fantastic essay on the work of Mathias Énard, which I recommend to anyone who's curious about the author or already a fan of his work!

I appreciate the length of time Chris takes to study each author's approach to metaphor and form.

[The New York Review of Books @nybooks]

Christopher Byrd (@Chris_Byrd) on Mathias Énard’s dizzyingly beautiful novels https://t.co/cUPHzbrzvZ

[Zach Issenberg @ZIssenberg]

I'm especially excited for the latest @dedreytnien translation of Copi. I was first recommended Copi's work by my dear friend Chris, who gifted me The Queen's Ball.

If you ever wanted a book that feels like Nathan Lane in a surreal Giallo film, read it!
https://t.co/6MukNdgh0B

[Zach Issenberg @ZIssenberg]

My new novels for summer have arrived! Many thanks to @chariscircle for always being the best local book hub.

I'm excited to read all three books through the summer rains with Moshi at my side, or abroad at some cafe with a morning treat. You should check each author out now!

[Zach Issenberg @ZIssenberg]

My most anticipated new fiction is out today! Missouri Williams' The Doloriad was a terrifying and sonically flared debut several years ago, sardonic and playful in the tradition of Rikki Ducornet.

My pre-order for her latest arrived just in time for my Eurotrip this summer.

[Missouri Williams @misery_williams]

my book is out in the USA today! thank you to everyone at @fsgbooks and @mcdbooks, my amazing editor @jaxxonhoward, and my brilliant agent John Ash for everything he does for me, including sending me this picture of the book by his pond after I gave away my only copy

[Zach Issenberg @ZIssenberg]

@DebasedDandy Congratulations, Adam!!!

[Zach Issenberg @ZIssenberg]

May the memory of Sonny Rollins be a blessing! What an incomparable artist, whose work provoked me in my most generative, secluded moods.

I spent a summer wandering the streets of Vienna, listening on loop to his modulations at Village Vanguard. His work echoes in my memory.

[Zach Issenberg @ZIssenberg]

@BorisDralyuk It was a delight to spend last year reading his quartet! I've always found it funny that people can't read through the kayfabe of his public performance. Silverblatt's interview following White Jazz cuts through the facade to a fantastic, incisive view of craft and worldview.

[Zach Issenberg @ZIssenberg]

@jeffrey_boone Absolutely, start with Carpentaria! It's a massive, sweeping novel told leisurely by a delightful narrator. Wright is one of the best contemporary artists at work, and this work is pretty accessible.

[Zach Issenberg @ZIssenberg]

One of my students wanted to join the Ulysses reading group, but tapped out because of its difficulty. That's completely okay! We have entire lifetimes to return to art and engage ourselves once again.

Instead, they asked for a list of books influenced by Ulysses. Try them too!

[Zach Issenberg @ZIssenberg]

This month, I'm re-reading Ulysses with some friends! Even if some parts can be tough, it's such a joyous, playful, and heartfelt novel. James Joyce wrote a big, bright book about humanity for dark times.

Re-reading now, I can't help but see its influence in everything I love...

[Zach Issenberg @ZIssenberg]

@bigblackjacobin Fall is a fantastic time to visit the city of Suzhou! It's not far from Shanghai by train, has great local dishes, and an extensive art scene with several contemporary, multimedia art galleries.

Hidden House in Beijing is a fun spot to visit with locals.

[Zach Issenberg @ZIssenberg]

Toni Morrison is inarguably one of the greatest novelists of all time, an author whose work felt accessible to new readers and deeply rewarding to fans of dense, layered literature.

This podcast is a great way to approach her fiction! The passion of each guest is infectious.

[Namwali @namwalien]

I always tell my students, you can be certain that Toni Morrison herself carefully chose every word she ever wrote. That's what makes close reading her work so enjoyable and so fruitful. Today, we launch PASSAGES, a podcast about reading Morrison together. https://t.co/twlhFyoouN

[Zach Issenberg @ZIssenberg]

@katpburke Congratulations! Looking forward to reading.

[Zach Issenberg @ZIssenberg]

A sad farewell to @turtlewowteam! I was late to this fan project - an 8-year experiment in community building - but it captivated me.

A global team believed in a simple mission, accessibility blended seamlessly with curation to bring people together. What an inspired effort.

[Zach Issenberg @ZIssenberg]

And my favorite games I played for the first time this year:
Look Outside
Turtle WoW
Path of Achra
& Total War: Warhammer III!

Look Outside was far and above my favorite gaming experience in several years. I cannot recommend this game enough to any fans of Undertale and LISA.

[Zach Issenberg @ZIssenberg]

@DoubleEBooks @LAPressClub Congratulations Dan!

[Zach Issenberg @ZIssenberg]

@Celestemarcus3 Mazel tov!!!

[Zach Issenberg @ZIssenberg]

@jihanebousfiha_ Happy birthday!

[Zach Issenberg @ZIssenberg]

This month, I'm re-reading Ulysses with some friends! Even if some parts can be tough, it's such a joyous, playful, and heartfelt novel. James Joyce wrote a big, bright book about humanity for dark times.

Re-reading now, I can't help but see its influence in everything I love...

[Zach Issenberg @ZIssenberg]

Lists are fun! I can rewrite them forever. But if I had to pick five fictions that everyone could and should try, they would be:

1. Frankenstein by Shelley
2. Invisible Man by Ellison
3. The Red & The Black by Stendhal
4. Song of Solomon by Morrison
5. The Trial by Kafka

[Giles Goat-Girl @nadienadianadie]

i am against such universal statements, but here's a list of five books bookish-people should consider reading.

1. ficciones, borges
2. war with the newts, capek
3. kalevala, compiled by elias lonnrot
4. first dream, sor juana inés de la cruz
5. paradise, hervé guibert

[Zach Issenberg @ZIssenberg]

Summer break's almost here, which means I've a new set of students taking directed study! Teaching literature is a joy for me, because I learn there's ever a greater breadth of perspective to share.

If you're interested, I wrote about my teaching method in an earlier thread!

[Zach Issenberg @ZIssenberg]

Each summer, students of mine ask me for directed study, where I assign them fiction to help develop an appreciation and stamina for great books. I teach them that literacy can feel like a muscle, requiring practice and care.

Today, I thought I might share how I assign books!