AWM Staff Picks: April 2025

Absolution by Jeff VanderMeer

From the publisher: “The surprise fourth volume in Jeff Vandermeer’s Southern Reach series. Structured in three parts, each recounting a new expedition, Absolution is a brilliant, beautiful, and ever-terrifying plunge into unique and fertile literary territory. There are some long-awaited answers here, to be sure, but also more questions, and profound new surprises. It is the final word on one of the most provocative and popular speculative fiction series of our time.”

—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager

Anselm Kiefer: A Monograph by Dominique Baque

From the publisher: “The work of Anselm Kiefer begins with a crucial question: how, after the Holocaust, can one be an artist within the German tradition? Born at the end of the Second World War, Kiefer’s career represents a quasi-existential quest to redefine Germanness. This new monograph will examine the foundation of Kiefer’s work: memory and our response to it. Kiefer’s artistic perspective is informed in turn by great literary works, myths, tales, legends, and particularly the world of Kabbalistic mysticism. This unprecedented monograph explores his passion for alchemy, his admiration for great female figures obscured by history, and his relationship with the landscape and nature, a notable topic of his most recent works.”

—Isabel, Storyteller

The Baltimore Waltz and Other Plays by Paula Vogel

From the publisher: “The first major collection of Paula Vogel’s work surveys a remarkable decade of her writing for the stage. Vogel’s singular voice is exhilarating, comic and heartbreaking in its examination of such contemporary issues as the feminization of poverty, the nontraditional family, the AIDS epidemic, domestic violence and pornography. Contains: The Baltimore Waltz, And Baby Makes Seven, The Oldest Profession, Desdemona: A Play About a Handkerchief, and Hot ‘N’ Throbbing.

—Isabel, Storyteller

Brian Eno — 1971-1977: The Man Who Fell to Earth directed by Ed Haynes

From IMDB: “This documentary film—the first ever about Eno—explores his life, career and music between the years 1971 & 1977, the period that some view as his golden age. Featuring numerous exclusive interviews, contributions from a range of musicians, writers, collaborators and friends—plus performance and studio film and an abundance of the most exceptional music ever created.”

—Isabel, Storyteller

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones

From the publisher: “From the New York Times bestselling author of The Only Good Indians is a chilling historical horror novel tracing the life of a vampire who haunts the fields of the Blackfeet reservation looking for justice. A diary, written in 1912 by a Lutheran pastor is discovered within a wall. What it unveils is a slow massacre, a chain of events that go back to 217 Blackfeet dead in the snow. Told in transcribed interviews by a Blackfeet named Good Stab, who shares the narrative of his peculiar life over a series of confessional visits. This is an American Indian revenge story written by one of the new masters of horror, Stephen Graham Jones.”

—Annie, Education Associate

The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal

From the publisher: “On a cold spring night in 1952, a huge meteorite fell to earth and obliterated much of the east coast of the United States, including Washington D.C. The ensuing climate cataclysm will soon render the earth inhospitable for humanity…This looming threat calls for a radically accelerated effort to colonize space…Elma York’s experience as a WASP pilot and mathematician earns her a place in the International Aerospace Coalition’s attempts to put man on the moon, as a calculator. But with so many skilled and experienced women pilots and scientists involved with the program, it doesn’t take long before Elma begins to wonder why they can’t go into space, too. Elma’s drive to become the first Lady Astronaut is so strong that even the most dearly held conventions of society may not stand a chance against her.”

—Cristina, Development & Membership Associate

Childhood and Other Neighborhoods by Stuart Dybek

From the publisher: “In Stuart Dybek’s Chicago, wonder lurks in unexpected places—in garbage-strewn alleys, gloomy basement apartments, abandoned rooms at the top of rickety stairs periodically rumbled by passing el trains. Transformed through the wide eyes of Dybek’s adolescent heroes, these grimy urban backwaters become exotic landscapes of fear-filled possibility, of dreams not yet turned to nightmares. Chronicling what happens when Old World faith meets the dark side of the American dream, Dybek’s poignant stories of coming of age in Chicago alternately appall, amaze, and just simply entertain.”

We hope you can join us on April 29 for a special event with Dybek and filmmaker Mary Livoni, whose short film “The Apprentice” is based on a Dybek short story of the same name. Both Dybek and Livoni will be in attendance for a screening of the film and Q&A. Get your tickets here to attend in person, or register for the online viewing link here.

—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager

Cellar Rat: My Life in the Restaurant Underbelly by Hannah Selinger

From the publisher: “At the height of her career as a server and then sommelier at some of New York’s most famed dining institutions…Selinger rubbed shoulders with David Chang, Bobby Flay, Johnny Iuzzini, and countless other food celebrities of the early 2000’s…In Cellar Rat, Selinger chronicles her rise and fall in the restaurant business, beginning with the gritty hometown pub where she fell in love with the industry and ending with her final post serving celebrities at the Hamptons classic Nick & Toni’s. In between, readers will join Selinger on her emotional journey as she learns the joys of fine fine dining, the allure and danger of power, and what it takes to walk away from a career you love when it no longer serves you.”

—Annie, Education Associate

The Complete Stories by Flannery O’Connor

From the publisher: “The publication of this extraordinary volume firmly established Flannery O’Connor’s monumental contribution to American fiction. There are thirty-one stories here in all…Taken together, these stories reveal a lively, penetrating talent that has given us some of the most powerful and disturbing fiction of the twentieth century.”

Later this month, we will release an episode of our podcast Nation of Writers about O’Connor. In it, I interview Cassie Munnell, the Curator at Andalusia, the Home of Flannery O’Connor, which maintains the home and grounds O’Connor lived on in Milledgeville, Georgia. The episode will air later this month, so be sure to subscribe to our podcasts to be notified when it is available!

—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager

Don’t Sleep with the Dead by Nghi Vo

From the publisher: “Nick Carraway―paper soldier and novelist―has found a life and a living watching the mad magical spectacle of New York high society in the late thirties. He’s good at watching, and he’s even better at pretending: pretending to be straight, pretending to be human, pretending he’s forgotten the events of that summer in 1922. On the eve of the second World War, however, Nick learns that someone’s been watching him pretend and that memory goes both ways. When he sees a familiar face one very dark night, it quickly becomes clear that dead or not, damned or not, Jay Gatsby isn’t done with him. In all paper there is memory, and Nick’s ghost has come home.”

We are thrilled that Vo will be joining us at the Harold Washington Public Library on April 22 for Making New Gods, the launch of our new exhibit and programming initiative American Prophets: Writers, Religion, and Culture. Vo is joined in conversation by N. K. Jemisin, Nnedi Okorafor, Matthew J. Kirby, and moderator Michi Trota. Learn more about this free event here!

—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager

The Drifting Classroom: Perfect Edition, Vol. 1 by Kazuo Umezu

I’d recommend this to fans of Junji Ito, or horror and/or manga fans generally. The art is brilliant, even when it’s scaring you half to death — great expressions, great detail, and it’s well-paced and plotted, too. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

—Cassidy, Guest Services Manager

The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin

From the publisher: “This is the way the world ends…for the last time. It starts with the great red rift across the heart of the world’s sole continent, spewing ash that blots out the sun. It starts with death, with a murdered son and a missing daughter. It starts with betrayal, and long dormant wounds rising up to fester. This is the Stillness, a land long familiar with catastrophe, where the power of the earth is wielded as a weapon. And where there is no mercy. The first book in the critically acclaimed, three-time Hugo award-winning Broken Earth trilogy.”

We are thrilled that Jemisin will be joining us at the Harold Washington Public Library on April 22 for Making New Gods, the launch of our new exhibit and programming initiative American Prophets: Writers, Religion, and Culture. Jemisin is joined in conversation by Nghi Vo, Nnedi Okorafor, Matthew J. Kirby, and moderator Michi Trota. Learn more about this free event here!

—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager

For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women) by Japanese Breakfast

From Bandcamp: “After a decade making the most of improvised recording spaces set in warehouses, trailers and lofts, Japanese Breakfast’s fourth album, For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women), marks the band’s first proper studio release. Produced by Grammy Award winner Blake Mills, the record sees front-woman and songwriter Michelle Zauner pull back from the bright extroversion that defined its predecessor Jubilee to examine the darker waves that roil within, the moody, fecund field of melancholy, long held to be the psychic state of poets on the verge of inspiration. The result is an artistic statement of purpose: a mature, intricate, contemplative work that conjures the romantic thrill of a gothic novel.”

—Maya, Marketing & Creative Associate

The Harvest by Samuel D. Hunter

From the publisher: “In the basement of a small evangelical church in southeastern Idaho, a group of young missionaries is preparing to go to the Middle East. One of them—a young man who has recently lost his father—has bought a one-way ticket. But his plans are complicated when his estranged sister returns home and makes it her mission to keep him there.”

—Matt, Community Engagement Manager

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

This pick is an old favorite. Arthur Dent’s best friend, Ford Prefect, has just informed him that the earth is going to be destroyed for the equivalent of a space highway, oh, and that he’s an alien. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams never ceases to make me laugh…and sometimes worry about the power of lab mice. Thankfully, one of the first things we learn about exploring the galaxy is DON’T PANIC.

—Cristina, Development & Membership Associate

The Immortals of Meluha by Amish Tripathi

From the publisher: “1900 BC. In what modern Indians mistakenly call the Indus Valley Civilisation. The inhabitants of that period called it the land of Meluha…This once proud empire and its Suryavanshi rulers face severe perils as its primary river, the revered Saraswati, is slowly drying to extinction. They also face devastating terrorist attacks from the east, the land of the Chandravanshis…The only hope for the Suryavanshis is an ancient legend: ‘When evil reaches epic proportions, when all seems lost, when it appears that your enemies have triumphed, a hero will emerge.’ Is the rough-hewn Tibetan immigrant Shiva, really that hero? And does he want to be that hero at all? Drawn suddenly to his destiny, by duty as well as by love, will Shiva lead the Suryavanshi vengeance and destroy evil? This is the first book in a trilogy on Shiva, the simple man whose karma re-cast him as our Mahadev, the God of Gods.”

—Sonal, Director of Education

Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor

From the publisher: “After word gets out on the Internet that aliens have landed in the waters outside of the world’s fifth most populous city, Lagos, Nigeria, chaos ensues. Soon the military, religious leaders, thieves, and crackpots are trying to control the message on YouTube and on the streets. Meanwhile, the earth’s political superpowers are considering a preemptive nuclear launch to eradicate the intruders. All that stands between seventeen million anarchic residents and death is an alien ambassador, a biologist, a rapper, a soldier, and a myth that may be the size of a giant spider, or a god revealed.”

We are thrilled that Okorafor will be joining us at the Harold Washington Public Library on April 22 for Making New Gods, the launch of our new exhibit and programming initiative American Prophets: Writers, Religion, and Culture. Okorafor is joined in conversation by Nghi Vo, N. K. Jemisin, Matthew J. Kirby, and moderator Michi Trota. Learn more about this free event here!

—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager

Model Home by Rivers Solomon

It’s a haunted house story featuring a queer black family. And if you’re interested in haunted house stories stay tuned for upcoming AWM programming…

More from the publisher: “Rivers Solomon turns the haunted-house story on its head, unearthing the dark legacies of segregation and racism in the suburban American South. Unbridled, raw, and daring, Model Home is the story of secret histories uncovered, and of a queer family battling for their right to live, grieve, and heal amid the terrors of contemporary American life.”

—Hunter, Storyteller

Moon Knight: Shadows of the Moon by Doug Moench and Bill Sienkiewicz

Collects Moon Night issues 5-23. Moench and Sienkiewicz are firing on all cylinders here with a perfect marriage of writing and visual art. You’ll see a lot of pages that are great works of art on their own, which is often (though not as a rule) the mark of a good comic. Each individual issue has fantastic cover art in its own right. The series takes the classic superhero secret identity/identity crisis story formula to a new and interesting place by giving Moon Knight three separate identities to deal with. I couldn’t put it down, as they say.

—Cassidy, Guest Services Manager

Paper Doll: Notes from a Late Bloomer by Dylan Mulvaney

From the publisher: “When Dylan Mulvaney came out as a woman online, she was a viral sensation almost overnight, emerging as a trailblazing voice on social media. Dylan’s personal coming-out story blossomed into a platform for advocacy and empowerment for trans people all over the world…In Paper Doll, Dylan pulls back the curtain of her ‘It Girl’ lifestyle with a witty and intimate reflection of her life pre- and post-transition. She covers everything from her first big break in theater to the first time her dad recognized her as a girl to how she handled scandals, cancellations, and…tucking. It’s both laugh-out-loud funny and powerfully honest—and is a love letter to everyone who stands up for queer joy.”

—Annie, Education Associate

Promises of Gold by José Olivarez

From the publisher: “In this groundbreaking collection of poems, José Olivarez explores every kind of love—self, brotherly, romantic, familial, cultural. Grappling with the contradictions of the American Dream with unflinching humanity, he lays bare the ways in which ‘love is complicated by forces larger than our hearts.’ Whether readers enter this collection in English or via the Spanish translation by poet David Ruano González, these extraordinary poems are sure to become beloved for their illuminations of life—and love.”

—Andrew, Institutional Giving Manager

The Repeat Room by Jesse Ball

From the publisher: “In a speculative future, Abel, a menial worker, is called to serve in a secretive and fabled jury system. At the heart of this system is the repeat room, where a single juror, selected from hundreds of candidates, is able to inhabit the defendant’s lived experience, to see as if through their eyes. The case to which Abel is assigned is revealed in the novel’s shocking second act. We receive a record of a boy’s broken and constrained life, a tale that reveals an illicit and passionate psycho-sexual relationship, its end as tragic as the circumstances of its conception. Artful in its suspense, and sharp in its evocation of a byzantine and cruel bureaucracy, The Repeat Room is an exciting and pointed critique of the nature of knowledge and judgment, and a vivid framing of Ball’s absurd and nihilistic philosophy of love.”

—Andrew, Institutional Giving Manager

Search Party created by Sarah-Violet Bliss, Charles Rogers, and Michael Showalter

From IMDB: “Search Party is a dark comedy about four self-absorbed twenty-somethings who become entangled in an ominous mystery when a former college acquaintance suddenly disappears. Starring Alia Shawkat, John Reynolds, John Early, and Meredith Hagner.”

—Andrew, Institutional Giving Manager

Star Splitter by Matthew J. Kirby

From the publisher: “Crash-landed on a desolate planet light-years from Earth, seventeen-year-old Jessica Mathers must unravel the mystery of the bloody destruction all around her—and the questionable intentions of a familiar stranger…Self-determination and survival collide in this haunting, pulse-pounding science fiction novel from Edgar Award–winning author Matthew J. Kirby that spans both space and time.”

We are thrilled that Kirby will be joining us at the Harold Washington Public Library on April 22 for Making New Gods, the launch of our new exhibit and programming initiative American Prophets: Writers, Religion, and Culture. Kirby is joined in conversation by Nghi Vo, N. K. Jemisin, Nnedi Okorafor, and moderator Michi Trota. Learn more about this free event here!

—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager

Story of My Life by Lucy Score

From the publisher: “Hazel Hart was a successful romance novelist until a breakup drives her straight into writer’s block. Having failed (and failed some more) to deliver her new manuscript, she’s hiding from the world behind a wall of old takeout containers until her publisher lays down the law. If she misses her next deadline it’s The End. Desperate for inspiration, Hazel impulse-buys a historic home online and flees Manhattan to tiny Story Lake, PA…Before Hazel knows it, she’s writing a romance novel and living one. At least until the drywall dust settles, the town she’s falling in love with faces bankruptcy, and growly Cam remembers why he can’t live happily ever after.”

—Annie, Education Associate

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

From the publisher: “As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes. Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves. When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight…and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.”

—Annie, Education Associate

Sunset Baby by Dominique Morisseau

From the publisher: “Kenyatta Shakur is alone. His wife has died, and now, this former Black Revolutionary and political prisoner, is desperate to reconnect with his estranged daughter Nina. If Kenyatta truly wants to reconcile his past, he must first conquer his most challenging revolution of all—fatherhood. Sunset Baby is an energised, vibrant and witty look at the point where the personal and political collide. One of the most exciting and distinctive undiscovered voices in America.”

—Isabel, Storyteller

Trifles by Susan Glaspell

From the publisher: “Trifles by Susan Glaspell, a 1916 one-act play, explores gender roles amid the first-wave feminist movement. It contrasts women’s behavior in public versus private and in the company of women versus men. Inspired by the John Hossack murder, Glaspell initially depicted Margaret Hossack as formidable but shifted to a sympathetic portrayal after visiting the crime scene. The play’s success led to Glaspell adapting it into the short story “A Jury of Her Peers,” highlighting women’s challenges in a legal system that denied them the right to be jurors. Trifles gained Glaspell literary fame as an iconic feminist play.”

—Cristina, Development & Membership Associate

The Wild Why: Stories and Teachings to Uncover Your Wonder by Laura Munson

From the publisher: “What is wonder? Wonder is curiosity and awe put together. We are born with our wonder intact. Why? What? How? Wow! Look at that rainbow! What makes a rainbow? Wonder is what we need to survive and thrive, not just as individuals but also as a civilization. It’s what’s lauded and honored by our society in young children. Until it isn’t. The Wild Why calls for an illuminating end to this endemic crisis of self, and a return to what we know at birth and need to reclaim. This is a book of teaching, and teaching-spirited stories, all centered on how to find our true self-expression and the wonder that spawns it.”

—Linda, Director of Development

Winter by Ali Smith

From the publisher: “Winter. Bleak. Frosty wind, earth as iron, water as stone, so the old song goes. And now Art’s mother is seeing things. Come to think of it, Art’s seeing things himself. When four people, strangers and family, converge on a fifteen-bedroom house in Cornwall for Christmas, will there be enough room for everyone? Winter. It makes things visible. Ali Smith’s shapeshifting Winter casts a warm, wise, merry and uncompromising eye over a post-truth era in a story rooted in history and memory and with a taproot deep in the evergreens, art and love.”

—Maya, Marketing & Creative Associate