12 New Books for October
This month, we’ve got our eyes on New Testaments, Comforting Myths: Concerning the Political in Art, and 10 other titles by writers on and of the West.
BRUTAL COMPANION, BY RUBEN QUESADA
Inspired by visual art, Quesada has crafted a collection of poems rooted in the personal experience of desire and trauma, offering nuanced and intimate reflections. His work touches on loss, sexuality, self-discovery, and identity and blends dreamlike visions with sharp social critique. Barrow Street Press, October 15
COMFORTING MYTHS: CONCERNING THE POLITICAL IN ART, BY RABIH ALAMEDDINE
Alameddine’s latest tackles a sticky problem: What makes art political? Regardless of their creators’ intentions, some works engage the sphere of politics, while others do not. Here, Alameddine seeks to understand this dichotomy, even as he looks to challenge it by investigating his experience as a gay immigrant as well as the efforts of luminaries such as Salman Rushdie. University of Virginia Press, October 22
COMING OUT LIKE A PORN STAR: ESSAYS ON PORNOGRAPHY, PROTECTION, AND PRIVACY, EDITED BY JIZ LEE
First published in 2015, Coming Out Like a Porn Star quickly gained a cult following by shedding light on the challenges and injustices plaguing sex workers. With forewords by Samantha Cole and Mireille Miller-Young, the second edition of Lee’s powerful anthology of essays addresses contemporary issues such as AI, deepfakes, OnlyFans, and the fetishization of marginalized groups. Feminist Press, October 8
ECHOLOCATION, BY SAGE MARSHALL
Marshall’s collection of verse uses the rugged beauty of the American West to examine how men often forge bonds and intimacy with one another: through violent experiences. From schoolboy fights to duck hunting in Central California, Marshall invokes the natural world to make sense of people’s interior lives and desires. Middle Creek Publishing & Audio, October 1
MOJAVE GHOST, BY FORREST GANDER
Pulitzer Prize winner Gander follows up 2021’s Twice Alive with this chronicle of his spiritual and physical journey as he walked nearly 800 miles along the San Andreas Fault. Heading toward the town of his birth, Gander crosses borders, both observable and invisible, and meditates on the rifts running through the desert, our country, and people’s relationships. New Directions Publishing, October 1
NEW TESTAMENTS: STORIES, BY DAGOBERTO GILB
Gilb’s latest collection of stories delves deep into the contemporary Chicanx experience, introducing a wide array of characters, each grappling with their own challenges. A family faces the terrifying aftermath of exposure to a mysterious gas, a man confronts his mortality, and a high school dropout flirts with danger. Blending gritty realism with a mythic sensibility, Gilb provides piercing insight into the working-class Mexican American experience. City Lights Books, October 1
NO ONE GETS TO FALL APART: A MEMOIR, BY SARAH LABRIE
LaBrie’s life took a dramatic turn when her mother was found in the midst of a mental break on a Texas highway, leading to a diagnosis of schizophrenia. In this memoir, LaBrie offers sobering reflections on psychiatric disabilities, race, love, friendship, and motherhood, while examining her family’s history of mental illness, from her great-grandmother’s struggles with dysphoria to her own battles with depression. Harper, October 22
POLOSTAN: VOLUME ONE OF BOMB LIGHT, BY NEAL STEPHENSON
Stephenson’s new historical epic brims with plot twists and international espionage, introducing us to Dawn Rae Bjornberg—born in the American West, later a Russian spy. In this rich and immersive novel, Stephenson not only develops the character of Bjornberg but also vividly captures life during the Great Depression. William Morrow, October 15
RIDING LIKE THE WIND: THE LIFE OF SANORA BABB, BY IRIS JAMAHL DUNKLE
Many are familiar with The Grapes of Wrath, but few know the author whose work was overshadowed by its publication: Sanora Babb. In Riding Like the Wind: The Life of Sanora Babb, Dunkle examines this fascinating midcentury American, whose meticulous notes and research formed the basis of John Steinbeck’s novel. Dunkle traces Babb’s journey from her childhood in Colorado to her later years in California. University of California Press, October 15
THE SCIENCE OF LAST THINGS: ESSAYS ON DEEP TIME AND THE BOUNDARIES OF THE SELF, BY ELLEN WAYLAND-SMITH
In The Science of Last Things, Wayland-Smith draws on the personal—pregnancy, motherhood, depression, and breast cancer—to reflect on primal emotions and the nature of human existence. She does not mince words as she examines climate change, Greek mythology, and even Los Angeles hippie culture with a critical eye. Milkweed Editions, October 15
TELL ME SOMETHING, TELL ME ANYTHING, EVEN IF IT'S A LIE: A MEMOIR IN ESSAYS, BY STEVE WASSERMAN
Throughout this wide-ranging book, Wasserman reflects on Barbra Streisand, interviews W.G. Sebald, offers shrewd commentary on Daniel Ellsberg, and summarizes the history of Cuba. Although his topics are diverse, Wasserman’s wit and intelligence are consistently on display. Heyday Books, October 8
THE WELL-DESIGNED ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT: FITTING GREAT ARCHITECTURE INTO SMALL SPACES, BY LYDIA LEE
Lee, an Alta Journal contributor, focuses on accessory dwelling units, or ADUs: smaller, second homes that can be used as guest accommodations, home offices, or even studios. She collects information on zoning regulations, design strategies, and even materials, while speaking to architects and ADU owners across the United States and Canada about their experiences building these homes. Schiffer Publishing, October 28
Ajay Orona is an associate editor at Alta Journal. He earned a master’s degree from USC Annenberg’s School of Journalism in 2021 and was honored with an Outstanding Specialized Journalism (The Arts) Scholar Award. His writing has appeared in Los Angeles Review of Books, Ampersand, and GeekOut.
Elizabeth Casillas is an assistant editor at Alta Journal. A graduate of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, she has previously written for the Poly Post and Enspire Magazine.
14 New Books for September
15 New Books for August
New Releases for July
Upcoming Releases: Moderation and Cozy Dystopias
