Lit Hub Daily: December 7, 2022

• “She writes her way to hope.” Jesmyn Ward on the optimistic work of Octavia Butler. | Lit Hub Criticism

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• Sara B. Franklin on the children’s books that got us through the year. | Lit Hub

• Darcey Steinke on the long, complicated life of painter Agnes Martin: “Rather than discount her voices, Martin seems to have worked with them.” | Lit Hub Art

• Tis the season? Luke Dumas recommends eight novels about the devil. | Lit Hub

• Shaun Bythell chronicles the occupational hazards of the second-hand book trade—misers, conspiracy theorists, and all. | Lit Hub

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• Molly Odintz recommends 11 books perfect for gifting to your dark-hearted loved ones. | CrimeReads

• Jennifer Egan, Emily St. John Mandel, Ian McEwan, Celeste Ng, and Olga Tokarczuk all feature among the Best Reviewed Fiction of 2022. | Book Marks

• In heartwarming news: A debut author tweeted about low book event turnout, and famous writers commiserated by sharing their own stories. | NPR

• Joelle Kidd on what we can learn from TV recaps: “They provided a blueprint by showing the critical apparatus in a container transparent enough that I could see the inner workings.” | Catapult

• Rapid-fire book recs from ballet dancer and author Misty Copeland. | ELLE

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• “The ruling class seized cities and chose to turn them into… This?” Contemplating the “undeniably ugly times” in which we live. | n+1

• Tobias Carroll recommends some standout new and forthcoming books in translation. | Words Without Borders

• McKenzie Wark considers trans femininity, modernism, and Kay Gabriel’s A Queen in Buck’s County. | The Nation

• “I realize now that my mother’s wish for me to be thin was, in its way, an act of love. She wanted me to be skinny so things would be easier.” Sabrina Imbler on the deep-sea octopus and disordered eating. | The Atlantic

• RSVP to the Poets & Writers “5 Over 50” virtual reading to hear from honorees Sari Botton, Shareen K. Murayama, Madhushree Ghosh, David Santos Donaldson, and Jane Campbell. | Poets & Writers

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Also on Lit Hub: Cherríe Moraga on writing about queer motherhood • Bombay and the Beats: Bridging two cities through their poetry movements • Read from Lauren John Joseph’s debut novel, At Certain Points We Touch