The Slice: Maris Kreizman
rapid fire book recs + authors against book bans
For The Slice this week, I had the pleasure of interviewing one of my long-time literary favorites, essayist and critic
.I’ve been following Maris’ work for ages, and she remains a go-to source for my ever-growing TBR stack. Her essays about the world of publishing and literature are also consistent gems. Check out her Esquire piece on the legacy of Gone Girl, or her takedown of Goodreads in The New York Times. Her essay dissecting our collective obsession with Christian Grey was also something I didn’t know I needed… but really spoke to me.
In addition to her freelance work, Maris is a columnist for Lit Hub, where she hosted a podcast for four years. She is also a leader for Authors Against Book Bans, an organization fighting book bans in the United States.
You can preorder Maris’ new book I Want to Burn This Place Down here.
I’m obsessed with your book recommendations, like your best books of 2024 for Vulture. How do you even begin to narrow down the books for a list like this?
It’s a constant struggle! I always like to have diversity – of racial and ethnic background of the authors, of subject matter and genre, of big presses and small ones. I want to choose the books that I really love, but bonus points if they’ve received less hype than some other more talked about books of the year. That means reading widely, so widely. And going with my gut. And yes, sometimes I do judge a book by its cover (in deciding whether to pick it up or not).
Is there an author right now who is especially exciting to you?
Katie Kitamura has been writing immaculately constructed experimental fiction for a while now, and no one is doing it like she is. She keeps redefining for me what a novel can be. I’m looking forward to her next book, Audition, which is out in March.
Can you tell us more about your work against banning books?
Book bans were on the increase for the past few years even before Trump was elected. Local school and library boards have been struggling enough already, and now Trump is saying that all book bans are a hoax. They’re not! Bans don’t “protect the children.” Bans allow people who aren’t educators to dictate what other people can read. Most of the country is against this. Most of the country supports the freedom to read and the freedom to write.
I was asked to be on the board of Authors Against Book Bans to help recruit more adult authors (the kid lit community has been actively fighting back for a while, and it’s time for the rest of us to back them up). I’m so happy to be there because it’s something I am uniquely qualified to do, and I’m trying to be strategic in the ways I choose to fight back. I will donate money to other causes, but I think this is where I can have the most impact. And fighting back against book bans works! Having authors speak at school board meetings has worked. Sending letters to local library boards has worked. There is so much we can do to turn the tide.
As a longtime follower, I adored all of content about your sweet departed pug, Bizzy. When she passed away, were there any books that especially gave you comfort?
Truthfully, I had to listen to audiobooks for a while. Because any book I’d read, I’d read on the couch while rubbing her belly. So it took a while to get used to reading on the couch with no belly to rub.
️🔥️🔥️🔥 Rapid fire! Book to…
Read when you want something short:
Sempre Susan: A Memoir of Susan Sontag by Sigrid Nunez
Read when you want something looooong:
The Old Drift by Namwali Serpell
Lean into deep winter/February feels:
The Ice Storm by Rick Moody
Escape reality for a while:
The Dud Avocado by Elaine Dundy
Expand your mind/ provide a Eureka! 💡 moment:
Everything Matters! by Ron Currie, Jr.
What is your least favorite literary trend right now?
AI will not save us!!
You have held several jobs in the literary world and written for many publications. How do you maintain a sense of wonder/excitement about reading without it feeling like capital w WORK?
I’m at a point now where I get to choose which books I cover, so I only choose ones that I really want to read. Which means that the wonder/excitement is kind of built in. It wasn’t always this easy. Back when I had less control over what I was reading, I made sure to read at least one book a month that was entirely for me. That helps.
If you could wave a magic wand and everyone in America had to read one book — what would you choose?
One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad.
And finally — what is giving you HOPE in the book world right now?
I always say that there are a lot of problems in the book world, but what gives me hope is that the good books keep on coming! My to-read pile constantly grows, and what is that but hope?
Huge thanks to Maris! Be sure to follow her on socials and preorder her new book for more ✨
Do you have a book lover I should interview? Send me an email and I’ll be in touch! 💌
📚 On my shelf
My two oldest friends in the world (s/o Rikha and Imari!) visited me this week, so I didn’t get much reading done. I did successfully bully them into buying The Safekeep so we can have a mini bookclub together.
I did finish Banal Nightmare by Halle Butler, but it wasn’t my favorite. Gabino Iglesias’ review for NPR sums up my feelings well.
Birnam Wood just became available on Libby, and I’m excited to start.
📚 Links and things
Dying to visit this dreamy exhibit at the Center for Book Arts in New York.
My dear friend
covered the German elections yesterday! Give her work a read 🇩🇪A fun article on Quince, the “quiet luxury” brand I have seen all over.
🌎 this is so cool — Whichbook’s World Map offers a creative way to find a book about any part of the world (h/t Wonder Tools for the rec!)
PS. I am headed to Luxembourg, Brussels, and Bruges for a conference this week. Please shout with any recs!
Happy reading! 💛
XOX
Alli