Dear Readers,

It’s October. Of course, I’m obligated to shamelessly plug The Encanto which comes out on the fourteenth. So there, now that that’s out of the way, I want to share four recommendations for the fall that have carried me away.

1Q84 – Haruki Murakami. Fall is for daydreaming, and if you’ve clocked much time on a jammed up freeway dreaming of a way out, not only from the freeway but into a parallel universe, then Murakami’s mega novel is for you.

The Green Mile – Stephen King. A man in the fall of his life recounts his terrible yet magical and transformative experience. The Green Mile was originally published as a series of shorter volumes, similar in format to LA FOG, which I only hope works half as well.

Provinces of Night – William Gay. This novel has an achingly, ephemeral beauty like a maple in late October, its leaves illuminated in the sunset.

Great Expectations – Charles Dickens. As fall drops into winter, I tend to reflect on the waning year. 2021 has left me feeling a bit like Pip. For those of us fortunate enough not to have contracted Covid itself, the pandemic has still disrupted our lives. But some changes have been for the better. I’ve enjoyed hearing about how the pandemic brought many people closer together. If you haven’t already shared your story, please do. 

Sincerely yours, Arthur Swan