Engineer's Daughter

at night we walk in circles

Daniel Alarcón has been a fave author of mine ever since his first novel Lost City Radio, and his new book At Night We Walk in Circles has been garnering rave year-end reviews including one from a wee publication called The New York Times:

The intricate narrative delivers much more than the publisher-promised meditation on “fate” or “identity.” “At Night We Walk in Circles” is a provocative study of the way war culture ensnares both participant and observer, the warping fascination of violence, and the disfiguring consequences of the roles we play in public. The story unfolds in an unnamed South American country, but its concerns resonate far beyond its imaginary borders.

My copy is on hold at the library as we speak.  Alarcón is also reading at the SF Library Mission branch next Wednesday 12/11 at 7pm if you'd like to experience the magic in person.

See also:

• Daniel Alarcón

made in l.a.

I heart L.A.

Though I missed the inaugural installment of the Hammer's Made in L.A. biennial last year I am already plotting a visit for the 2014 iteration, especially with Michael Ned Holte as one of the curators.  From the L.A. Times:

Holte is best known as an art critic who writes for magazines such as Artforum and teaches at the California Institute of Arts. He has curated shows for the Thomas Solomon Gallery at Cottage Home in L.A. and Wallspace in New York. A Wisconsin native, he was originally drawn to L.A. in 1995 when finishing a student movie "because of my somewhat naïve understanding of the film industry,” he said, describing a roundabout entry into the L.A. art world.

See also:

• Made in L.A. 2012
• Michael Ned Holte