Co Leitrim writer-poet-teacher Kevin McManus talks about his new rural-Ireland-set novel, which is a poignant reflection on grief, memory and the fragile moments of grace that shape a life
From the cosiest of casualties to the heart-thumping chase, there are a host of criminally good page-turners that will satisfy the genre’s biggest fans
Some of the most hyped films of 2026 are based on blockbuster novels.
You still have a few weeks to read "Dune Messiah" before "Dune: Part Three."
There are a couple of holiday books getting adapted, too.
Any booklover knows that news of an adaptation can be complicated: Can we trust the directors, screenwriters, and actors to bring our favorite stories to life?
This year's movie slate is filled with books that are near and dear to thousands of readers, including classics that are decades (or centuries) old, like "Pride and Prejudice, "A Christmas Carol," and "Dune Messiah."
There are also some new classics set to be adapted this year, including "Klara and the Sun" and "Sunrise on the Reaping."
We've compiled a list of 13 must-read books that you should crack open before they're adapted this year.
'Whalefall'
"Whalefall."
MTV Books
Release date: October 16 in theaters
Daniel Kraus published "Whalefall" in 2023. It's a pretty self-contained, if wild, story: What would happen if you got swallowed by a whale? And not in a biblical, Jonah sense — in a literal, swallowed-while-scuba-diving sense.
The film stars Austin Abrams as Jay (get it? J as in Jonah?) and Josh Brolin as Mitt, Jay's deceased father, from whom he was estranged. That's the whole reason he dives in the first place; he's diving to find his father's remains.
'Wildwood'
"Wildwood."
Storytide
Release date: October 23 in theaters
Stop-motion studio LAIKA's latest film, "Wildwood," is based on the 2011 novel of the same name, written by Colin Meloy and illustrated by Carson Ellis.
Both the film and the book follow Prue, a teenager, whose baby brother, Mac, is stolen by a pack of birds and taken into a mystical forest. She, along with her classmate Curtis, ventures into the woods to rescue Mac and perhaps save this magical land.
Prue is voiced by Peyton Elizabeth Lee and Curtis is voiced by Jacob Tremblay. Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Awkwafina, Jake Johnson, Angela Bassett, Charlie Day, and Amandla Stenberg also star.
'Klara and the Sun'
"Klara and the Sun."
Alfred A. Knopf
Release date: October 23 in theaters
Kazuo Ishiguro's 2021 novel "Klara and the Sun" was longlisted for the Booker Prize upon its publication.
The book takes place in a not-too-distant dystopian future where rich children can be gifted "Artificial Friends" to help them socialize, since now all schooling is done at home, online. Klara, the narrator, is purchased for a sick girl named Josie.
In the film, which was cowritten and directed by Taika Waititi, Klara will be played by Jenna Ortega, Josie will be played by Mia Tharia, and Josie's mom, Chrissie, will be played by Amy Adams.
'The Good Daughter'
"The Good Daughter."
William Morrow
Release date: November 12 on Peacock
Karin Slaughter's "The Good Daughter" is a bestselling thriller that was published in 2017.
It follows two sisters, Charlotte and Samantha, whose lives were shattered as kids when their mother was murdered and their father was traumatized. Now, as adults, Charlotte has followed in her dad's footsteps and tried to be the perfect daughter. Samantha chose to deal with her grief in a, shall we say, different way.
In the Peacock series, Rose Byrne plays Samantha and Meghann Fahy plays Charlotte.
'Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist'
"Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist."
Beacon Press
Release date: November 13 on Apple TV+
Director Siân Heder's follow-up to best picture winner "CODA" is "Being Heumann," a biopic about Judith Heumann, who is known as the "Mother of the Disability Rights Movement." It's based on her 2020 memoir of the same name.
The film stars Ruth Madeley as Judith, Mark Ruffalo as United States Health and Human Services Secretary Joseph A. Califano Jr., and Dylan O'Brien as a reporter who covers Judith's protests.
'Victorian Psycho'
"Victorian Psycho."
Liveright
Release date: November 13 in theaters
"Victorian Psycho" was written by Virginia Feito and published in 2025.
The story follows Winifred Notty, a governess sent to Ensor House (a gothic dream), who seems more like Patrick Bateman than Maria von Trapp.
Maika Monroe will play Winifred.
'A Christmas Carol'
"A Christmas Carol."
Aladdin
Release date: November 13 in theaters
Yet another adaptation of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," originally published in 1843, is hitting theaters this year.
This time it's called "Ebenezer" and stars Johnny Depp as Scrooge. He'll be joined by Rupert Grint as Bob Cratchit, Scrooge's long-suffering employee, Andrea Riseborough as the Ghost of Christmas Past, Tramell Tillman as the Ghost of Christmas Present, Ian McKellen as Scrooge's dead business partner Marley, Sam Claflin as Scrooge's nephew Fred, and Daisy Ridley as Fred's wife Clara.
This version of the story will be helmed by director Ti West, so it might be a more horror-forward version of the classic.
'The Bodyguard'
"The Bodyguard."
Griffin
Release date: November 18 on Netflix
Netflix first announced that Katherine Center's novel "The Bodyguard," published in 2022, will be adapted for the streamer in September 2025.
The story follows Jack Stapleton, a famous actor with a stalker, who hires bodyguard Hannah Brooks to protect him. But since he doesn't want to worry his sick mother, the two instead pretend to date.
The catch with this adaptation? Since there's already a quite famous film called "The Bodyguard," Netflix, along with stars Leighton Meester (Hannah) and Jared Padalecki (Jack), asked fans to come up with a new name for the film, and they landed on "Guarding Stars."
'Sunrise on the Reaping'
"Sunrise on the Reaping."
Scholastic Press
Release date: November 20 in theaters
For years, fans begged "Hunger Games" author Suzanne Collins to tell the story of Haymitch Abernathy's games. In March 2025, she obliged, publishing "Sunrise on the Reaping," a "Hunger Games" prequel that takes place 24 years before the first novel.
It tells the story of the 25th Hunger Games, which Haymitch, the future tribute mentor for District 12, won. As with all "Hunger Games" books, it's devastating.
"The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping" boasts an all-star cast of Mckenna Grace, Jesse Plemons, Ralph Fiennes, Glenn Close, Kieran Culkin, Elle Fanning, Billy Porter, Maya Hawke, Lili Taylor, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Whitney Peak, and newcomer Joseph Zada as Haymitch.
'The Titan's Curse'
The Titan's Curse
Puffin Books
Release date: November 20 on Disney+
Season three of "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" is set to premiere on November 20. This season consists of eight episodes and concludes on December 11.
This season is based on the third installment in Rick Riordan's books: "The Titan's Curse." It sees Percy (Walker Scobell) go on a mission to rescue his friend, Annabeth (Leah Sava Jeffries), and the goddess Artemis (Dafne Keen) after they're kidnapped by mysterious forces.
'In a Holidaze'
"In a Holidaze."
Pocket Books
Release date: December 2 on Netflix
Romance powerhouse duo Christina Lauren published their first holiday romance in 2020, called "In a Holidaze."
This is a classic time-loop story that follows Mae (Maddie Ziegler) as she returns home for Christmas, determined to tell her longtime crush Andrew (Graham Phillips) how she really feels. But when everything goes wrong, instead of dealing with the fallout, she relives the same day over and over.
'Pride and Prejudice'
"Pride and Prejudice."
Penguin Young Readers Group
Release date: December 3 on Netflix
"Sense and Sensibility" wasn't the only Jane Austen novel getting adapted this year — over 20 years after Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen played Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, there's a new duo in town that's ready to play these iconic yearners.
In this Netflix miniseries, adapted by Dolly Alderton, Emma Corrin and Jack Lowden will play the two. They'll be joined by Olivia Colman, Rufus Sewell, Daryl McCormack, Louis Patridge, Jamie Demetriou, Fiona Shaw (who was also in "Sense and Sensibility" this year), and Freya Mavor.
'Dune Messiah'
"Dune: Messiah."
Berkley Medallion
Release date: December 18 in theaters
After the two-part adaptation of "Dune," the third film in the series is set to adapt Frank Herbert's second novel, "Dune Messiah," published in 1969.
Picking up after the events of "Dune: Part Two," "Dune: Part Three" will follow Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) as he struggles to control the galaxy, prevent the death of millions, avenge his father, and juggle relationships with Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh) and his love Chani (Zendaya).
Editor's Note: This story was first published in December 2025 and was last updated in October 2026.
Tishani Doshi puts the image at the centre of her poems and deploys the sonic power of language in aid of finely layered imaging and urgent myth-making.
New film Fatherland took Sandra Hüller back to a divided Germany. She talks about damaged dreams, Hollywood feelgood and - just maybe - appearing in the new Marvel movie
Sandra Hüller is crying, and it feels very strange. A wildly gifted actor, she can convey every human emotion there is. On screen, though, she is most often asked to embody deep self-possession. Even doing karaoke, Hüller is in control. And in real life, life is good. Her 2026 will end with four high-profile movies this year alone. Two (Fatherland and Rose) are black-and-white arthouse films that centre on her brilliance, and though one of the others (Digger) is already a Hollywood cautionary tale, a second (Project Hail Mary) was a giant $684m hit. (There may also be a fifth movie, bigger still. We will come back to that.)
And yet, dressed in film star black, she is in tears. “This is really hard for me,” she says.
An acclaimed novel comes to life as a new opera, exploring a deeply personal side of one of America's most consequential presidents, Abraham Lincoln, and the profound grief that shaped his life. Jeffrey Brown takes in "Lincoln in the Bardo" at the Metropolitan Opera in New York for our arts and culture series, CANVAS.
Author withdrawn from France’s Prix Goncourt last month has repeatedly denied using artificial intelligence to write novel
The publisher of top-selling Haitian Canadian writer Thélyson Orélien, who was removed from France’s most prestigious literary prize list last month, has confirmed the author used artificial intelligence to help write his novel C’était ça ou mourir (It Was Either That or Die).
Orélien has denied allegations that he used AI on his breakthrough novel and, last week, Canadian publisher Les Éditions du Boréal said it was standing by the 38-year-old writer.
Normal People stars Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones have signed an open letter supporting Irish author Sally Rooney after her publisher stopped supplying her books in the UK.
French economist Thomas Piketty and American political philosopher Michael J. Sandel reframe economic inequality as a crisis of social dignity, urging bold policy reforms to rebuild the democratic social state.
God’s presence isn’t a niche. It’s the plot. The book’s twelve chapters walk the whole route: creation and the Garden, the Flood, the patriarchs, Egypt and the exodus, the wilderness, the tabernacle, the temple, exile, and then Christ. From Christ it keeps going, into the Christian, the church, and the new creation. Ask a... Continue Reading
Sarah J. Maas is publishing the sixth "A Court of Thorns and Roses" book.
Alexandra Genova / SAINT LUCY Represents
Sarah J. Maas' sixth "A Court of Thorns and Roses" novel comes out on October 27.
Book seven will follow on January 12, 2027, as Maas first announced in March 2026.
Maas has been revealing which characters will tell the story on her social media in recent days.
Sarah J. Maas fans, it's finally time to go back to Prythian.
The sixth "A Court of Thorns and Roses" novel, titled "A Court of Splintered Harmony," will hit bookshelves on October 27 after months of anticipation. It will be quickly followed by book seven, "A Court of Forgotten Melody," on January 12, 2027.
It's been five years since Maas last released an "ACOTAR" book, and the novel is eagerly awaited not only by fans but also by Maas' publisher, Bloomsbury. The company's sales fell 10% for the 2025-2026 fiscal year because Maas didn't release a new book, Publishers Weekly reported.
Both Bloomsbury and Maas have been sharing teasers on social media about "A Court of Splintered Harmony" in the lead-up to its publication, with Maas revealing which characters will be narrating the novel (after asking fans to stop sharing any leaks of book six).
Here's everything we know about "ACOTAR" six so far.
Warning: Some spoilers for Maas' work — including "ACOTAR" and "Crescent City" — ahead.
Maas is releasing the sixth 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' story in multiple volumes
In March 2023, Bloomsbury announced that Maas had signed a deal for three more books with the publisher. At the time, she was already under contract for four titles, including "House of Flame and Shadow," the third installment in her "Crescent City" series, published in January 2024. Readers didn't find out what the next book she would write would be until her March 2026 appearance on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast with Alex Cooper.
She told Cooper she finished the sixth "ACOTAR" book while writing in Montana over the summer of 2025, but she didn't share details about it because of its nontraditional release structure.
"This book's coming out October 27, and then on January 12, like two months later, I can't do math, whatever that is, the next ACOTAR book will be coming out," Maas said. "So there will be two books within, like, a very short span."
Sarah J. Maas for "Call Her Daddy."
Call Her Daddy
As her fans will know, Maas' books are typically split into parts, separating different sections of the story she is telling. However, when it comes to the sixth "ACOTAR" story, Maas said the individual parts became longer than she anticipated as she started writing, with part one coming in at 400 pages at one point.
As she continued writing, Maas decided the parts didn't have to be in a single physical book.
"What if this book was really long?" she said. "What if it took me more than a thousand pages to tell the story that needed to be told, the arc that I wanted to create from start to finish?"
Maas said the story for "ACOTAR" six was ultimately divided into four parts, though it is still one cohesive story. Part one is the novel Bloomsbury will publish on October 27, 2026, and parts two and three will be published together on January 12, 2027. Maas has yet to write or give a publication date for part four, but she told Cooper all three volumes would be published "in a very short time."
"It's meant to be read, ideally, as one massive, massive story as opposed to in a trilogy," she said. "It's not a trilogy. Like, arcs aren't wrapped up."
Maas finally shared some details about the books in August 2026
On August 16, Maas cleared her Instagram of all its posts, changing her profile photo to a black-and-white illustration of a monster and a spider. Then, on August 17, she shared the covers and titles of books six and seven on social media.
The "Splintered Harmony" cover features a pink-and-orange backdrop with a sketched drawing of a monster with teeth and bones, and the subtitle is "The Valkyrie Cycle: Movement I." The Valkyrie were introduced to "ACOTAR" in "A Court of Silver Flames," when Nesta Archeron brought the legendary all-female fighting squad back to life alongside her friends Gwyn and Emerie.
"A Court of Splintered Harmony."
Bloomsbury
Maas posted the book alongside the tagline, "What was broken will be remade." The blurb shared on booksellers' websites reveals that the Night Court is facing new threats when book six opens: Koschei the Deathless, one of three legendary monster siblings introduced throughout "ACOTAR," and those willing to ally with him to claim the newly freed human lands.
The description also notes that there is tension among the members of the Night Court because of "recent betrayals and revealed truths," which they must work through if they want to defeat Koschei.
"A Court of Splintered Harmony" will be 352 pages and will include three bonus chapters from the "ACOTAR" series. Those bonus chapters were previously published in specific editions of Maas' novels, but they will be in all copies of "ACOSH," as the publisher shared on its social media on September 24. One chapter focuses on Feyre and Rhysand, one on Cassian and Nesta, and one on Azriel's experience on the Winter Solstice that takes place in "A Court of Silver Flames."
Teasers from the new book
In mid-September, Bloomsbury began sharing quotes from "A Court of Splintered Harmony," offering more insight into the novel than the vague blurbs.
It released six quotes in total, and the first, shared on September 17, revealed that at least some of the novel will be told from Lucien Vanserra's perspective.
"Lucien's heart thundered, throat drying out," the quote read. "Maybe this had been a terrible idea."
Lucien has only played a supporting role in the "ACOTAR" books so far, but Maas has been teeing up his expanded role in her books through his unaccepted mating bond with Elain Archeron, Feyre's middle sister, and his connection to Koschei. He serves as an emissary to the human lands for the Night Court in "ACOSF," alongside Jurian and Vassa, a human queen who was sold to Koschei and cursed to turn into a firebird each day. It would be surprising if Vassa — and by extension Lucien — weren't involved in fighting against Koschei in book six.
Likewise, the final quote Bloomsbury shared on October 9 appeared to confirm that Azriel will narrate some of "ACOSH." The quote didn't include his name, but the unnamed narrator was communicating with shadows: "'We are here,' the shadows whispered in his ear. 'We are always here.'"
Azriel is a Shadowsinger in the "ACOTAR" world, with his shadows being described as keeping him company and whispering to him as he serves as the Night Court's spymaster.
No other passage shared by Bloomsbury names a narrator, but interestingly, the quote shared on September 28 asks if it is "possible for mates to…un-mate" if a bond were to "fracture deeply enough" that it cannot be repaired.
Lucien and Elain's mating bond is strained because Elain has yet to accept it, so some fans think the comment is about them. At the end of "House of Flame and Shadow," though, Nesta and Cassian were at odds, so others think the quote hints at tension between the pair (more on that in a minute).
On October 24, Bloomsbury also shared a sneak peek of the map that sits at the front of "A Court of Splintered Harmony." It shows new locations in the Night Court, such as Sangravah, and in the Autumn Court, including the Forest House and the Thorn-Wood. It also offers a look at the faerie realms outside Prythian, such as Vallahan. Koschei's lake is in the other faerie realms, sitting among the open fae lands in front of a mountain range.
Maas chimes in
Maas' Instagram was quiet after she announced the titles of her books, until October 19, when she took to her Instagram story to ask fans not to share leaks of "A Court of Splintered Harmony."
"I know how much you love these books and these characters; I know you've been waiting for a long time to know what comes next," she wrote. "That love for these stories is exactly why I'm requesting that you please, please don't share leaks."
"Nothing about this release is meant to feel like a secret that needs to be found out," Maas went on. "Publishing a book takes time and effort from so many hardworking people to get it into your hands. Throughout this long process, everyone involved has been dedicated to keeping things from being spoiled, but sometimes things happen, and it is beyond disheartening to see out-of-context moments take away from all of you who have waited so patiently."
"All I'm asking for is just a bit more of that patience — until you can get everything in its fullness, the way it's meant to be read," Maas said.
Sarah J. Maas in 2024.
Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Tory Burch
Representatives for Maas did not respond to a request for comment on the Instagram story, and Maas did not specify which images spreading online contained authentic leaks of the book.
However, in the week leading up to the book's release, she posted a short video each day to reveal which of her characters would narrate "A Court of Splintered Harmony." Each video featured a quote from the character set against a sketch of the monster on the novel's cover. The backdrop for the first drop was gray, but it grew progressively darker, revealing stars with each post.
The narrators are:
Feyre
Feyre was the narrator for the first four "ACOTAR" books, telling the story from a first-person perspective. Like books one through four, the passage Maas shared was in the first-person perspective, unlike the other quotes:
"My body wouldn't move. Couldn't move. I could do nothing to help him, nothing at all, and I would die from it, this despair and agony. Please, I tried to beg the darkness, please. Anything. I'd give anything for him to be safe. My life, my territory, my — would you give that too?"
Maas provided no further context about the quote, though fans were quick to point out that the inner monologue seemed like what Feyre would have been thinking when she gave birth to her son, Nyx, as she and the baby almost died because he was born with wings. Rhys also nearly lost his life, as he and Feyre bound their lives together at the end of "A Court of Wings and Ruin." Nesta saved them all by returning her power to the cauldron, but the passage could be a flashback to the scene from Feyre's perspective.
Cassian
Cassian was one of the two narrators of "A Court of Silver Flames," which told his and Nesta's love story. His passage from the new novel appears to show him and Nesta at odds:
"So Cassian let her go. Let her keep walking down the hall, and out the front door. Nesta didn't look back at him. Not once."
It's unclear what they may be fighting about, though Cassian was disapproving of Nesta's actions in "House of Flame and Shadow." Details below.
Nesta
In the quote Maas shared from Nesta, the eldest Archeron sister is drawn to some unnamed power.
"On trembling legs, head spinning, Nesta managed to get to her feet. Maybe whatever called for her over the northern horizon was a siren song, luring her away from what mattered, who mattered. Come, it beckoned, but to where? To what end? More shadows and loneliness and secrets? It would consume her, if she let it."
Lucien
Maas' quote from Lucien was more specific than the one Bloomsbury shared, shedding light on the fire-wielder's frustration with Feyre.
"Lucien ran a hand through his hair. Tamlin had saved him. And then Lucien had rebuilt himself, his life. Only for Feyre to bring it all crumbling down."
Lucien is likely reflecting on Feyre's actions in "ACOWAR," when she brought down the Spring Court after Tamlin made a deal with the King of Hybern to get her back.
Gwyn
Gwyn is haunted by memories of her past in the sneak peek Maas offered from her portion of the novel.
"Gwyn staggered back from the railing, from the darkness, fingers fumbling for the invoking stone in her pocket. It was glowing and warm to the touch in a way that had nothing to do with its proximity to her flesh. You are here, the stone seemed to affirm, you are safe. The past cannot harm you. Gwyn shook her head. She was inclined to disagree."
Gwyn may be in the library where she works, as readers saw her and Nesta fleeing a dark force there in "A Court of Silver Flames."
Mor
At the end of "A Court of Frost and Starlight," Mor set off for Vallahan, another fae realm, to attempt to get the leaders there to sign a new treaty between humans and fae. She appears to be continuing that work in "A Court of Splintered Harmony," based on the teaser Maas shared about Mor, and offering more detail about her power, which is simply referred to as "truth" in "ACOTAR."
"She flexed her hands at her sides, working out the faint trembling in them. It was a fool's errand. She knew it — Rhys and Feyre knew it. Vallahan would know it, too. But she'd try. One last time. Mor sucked in a breath, an ancient, night-kissed power awakening from its slumber deep within her. Different from Rhys's, older."
Azriel
Maas confirmed Azriel was a narrator for the book the day before its release, writing of his Illyrian heritage:
"You are an Illyrian, Azriel — the wind sings through your very blood. You cannot be caged. You cannot be broken. They lock you away because they fear you."
The quote seems to refer to Azriel's childhood, as he spent his early years locked in his father's home, unable to learn to fly.
More clues about 'ACOTAR' 6 narrators
It makes sense that Nesta and Gwyn will be central to Maas' new books since the novels are part of "The Valkyrie Cycle." The Valkyries were a central focus of "A Court of Silver Flames."
The book ushered in a new era for the series, as it was told from Nesta's perspective. Maas again focused on her in "House of Flame and Shadow" in her "Crescent City" series.
"A Court of Silver Flames."
Bloomsbury
The "recent betrayals and revealed truths" mentioned in the description of "A Court of Splintered Harmony" could refer to Nesta's actions in "HOFAS." Specifically, the "revealed truths" may reference the resurrection of the long-forgotten Dusk Court in Prythian, which they discover Rhysand is an heir to, while the "recent betrayal" against the Night Court could be Nesta's lending the Mask of the Dread Trove to Bryce Quinlan, the "Crescent City" protagonist, without Rhysand and Feyre's permission.
Bryce also gave Nesta the sword Gwydion at the end of "HOFAS," telling her she thinks she was meant to have it when she returns the Mask. Nesta shared with Bryce in the same scene that Cassian is the most upset with her of everyone for her actions.
"House of Flame and Shadow."
Bloomsbury
It seems Maas was setting up a continuation of Nesta's story for her next "ACOTAR" story in the scene, which may see her explore her power and connections to the fae of the Dusk Court.
You can read a more detailed breakdown of what to remember from Maas' previous works ahead of "ACOTAR" six here.
Elain's role in future 'ACOTAR' books
One notable character doesn't yet have a confirmed POV in the new novel: Elain Archeron.
In "A Court of Silver Flames," Elain had settled into life at the Night Court, refusing to explore her mating bond with Lucien or her Seer powers. She also seems to have an attraction to Azriel in the text, with the pair almost kissing in his bonus chapter. However, Maas juxtaposes their connection with the ill-fitting aspects of life at the Night Court for Elain during a visit to the Court of Nightmares in "ACOSF."
Maas told Eva Chen during an appearance on "Live Talks Los Angeles" in February 2021 that she planned to write a book from Elain's perspective. She also discussed Elain on "Call Her Daddy" in March 2026, saying Lucien's involvement in bringing Elain to the fae world is a barrier to their relationship. Maas said she was "interested" as a writer in exploring what it meant for someone not to desire to be mated.
It's surprising that Elain is not confirmed to have a POV in "A Court of Splintered Harmony," given Maas' past comments, the brewing tension surrounding Elain, and the fact that both Lucien and Azriel have POVs in the book. Elain may have a surprise chapter in the book, or she could narrate future installments in the series.
Readers will have to wait and see what role Maas plans for Elain to play in the new "ACOTAR" books.
Little-known photographer John Baer captured everyday life before putting down his camera in 1954. His son discovered the images decades later after his death, and John Baer: The Extraordinary Ordinary / A Memoir in Photographs, 1945–1954 marks their first public release
Earlier this year, during an appearance on Kareem Rahma’s popular Subway Takes show, Jasper Craven explained line-crossing ceremonies, in which sailors celebrate first crossings of the equator. In US naval history, line-crossing ceremonies have at times involved violent hazing. But they have also involved pageantry, ritualistic performances of masculinity and femininity that tip over into drag. “Young men want love, support, community,” Craven said. “The military provides a permission structure to show love, often in very pure ways.”
It’s a characteristic insight from Craven, a freelance reporter who has made a singular beat from the intersection of masculinity and the American military. In his magazine features, Craven has scrutinized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s opposition to women in the armed forces via Hegseth’s undergraduate fits over The Vagina Monologues, and profiled Bernarr McFadden, a bodybuilder and publisher who oversaw two military schools “to impose his love of physical strength onto American children, the War Department, and the world.” Craven’s recent book, God Forgives, Brothers Don’t, follows some of our most insidious models of masculinity back to the military education programs that have shaped them for centuries.
Craven is a dynamic counterexample to the men he writes about, less interested in bulking up the boundaries of his identity than testing their limits. For a memorable Harper’s feature, he spent six months undercover as an employee of the world’s largest private-security firm. (During his first shift, a supervisor criticized Craven for his non-detachable necktie, which could be used to strangle him.) He is at once stridently critical and deeply compassionate. (He is also, as you’ll learn, deeply and truly funny.)
“There are myriad other ways to prove your manhood, and they’re not simply being emotionally vulnerable or non-violent,” Craven told an interviewer earlier this year. “You can actually fight for things: fight for peace, be a little risky, be a little reckless, break the law, put your body on the line. If it’s around a morally sound mission, that can feel incredibly validating.” I don’t take a lot of heart from the men Craven writes about, but I take some heart from his work.
—Brendan Fitzgerald
Where did you grow up?
Peacham, Vermont.
What places feel like home?
The sluiceway at Gull Pond in Wellfleet, Massachusetts; Tom’s Diner in Brooklyn, New York; The St. Johnsbury Athenaeum in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom.
Other than family members, who or what has shaped you the most?
My folks, both filmmakers, shielded me from television and other mainstream entertainment as a child. Much as I resented their restrictions at the time, they forced me to troubleshoot my taste through the physical media available in our home, a beautiful process of discovery tinged by family lineage that I wish was still widely practiced. Nothing got me more excited than the films of Charlie Chaplin. I’ve consumed all his films, and The Great Dictator is my favorite. It is what much of my journalism aspires to be: narratively compelling, funny, and unflinching.
What is your favorite time of day?
I’ll take any time on the weekend. On workdays: I like the mornings for research and making calls, and evenings for writing. To me, the midafternoon is almost always a slog.
What are you really good at?
Guessing what time it is without a watch.
What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?
I love Cold War ephemera. My two favorite gifts are a vintage poster of Dr. Strangelove and a Vietnam-era Snoopy Zippo.
Describe your favorite meal.
Negroni and a cheeseburger at Long Island Bar.
Sound or silence? (And if sound, what sound?)
Sound. Ideally jazz or a film score. I wrote my book about military masculinity mostly to the work of Bill Evans, Pharaoh Sanders, and the soundtracks from Jackie, Do the Right Thing, One Battle After Another, and Ken Burns’s The Vietnam War.
Where do you do your best thinking?
On bike rides.
What journey—physical, creative, intellectual, or otherwise—has meant the most to you?
Hauling a golden gorilla statute across America for a crypto concern during COVID.
Where do you like to read?
New York City’s Prospect Park, my clawfoot tub, the bed.
What’s the last rabbit hole you disappeared into?
Disney Adult YouTube vlogs. Still haven’t emerged.
Name three publications you enjoy reading these days.
What piece of nonfiction are you most proud of writing?
Probably my Harper’s dispatch on my six months undercover as a security guard.
What’s your most reliable way to get creatively unstuck?
Watching a movie or schvitzing at The Wall Street Bath & Spa.
Who’s a writer you turn to when you need some inspiration?
Right now, Don DeLillo.
What words do you overuse?
Tenacious. Hyperaggressive. Amped.
What’s your favorite guilty pleasure?
90 Day Fiancé.
What superpower would you like to have?
Like any good reporter, I’m very nosey, so probably superhuman eavesdropping. Lost about 20 percent of hearing in my right ear when a speaker blew out at a college party. Would love that back, and then some.
What animal or nonhuman being do you most identify with?
I’ve got the curiosity of a cat, but I often don’t land on my feet.
If you have a free solitary hour in your day, what do you typically do?
I’ll either go on a bike ride or veg out on YouTube. The duality of man.
What five items would you place in a time capsule?
A hanging chad ballot. The EV Hummer. Some Trump steaks. An AR-15. My medical bills after I fell off my bike.
What does your writing space look like?
I am someone who writes anywhere and everywhere. Amtrak. Delta. Starbucks. My bed. The Wertheim Room at the New York Public Library has been the best of them all.
Jasper Craven is a freelance reporter covering men and the military for outlets including Harper’s, The New Yorker, New York, Wired, The Baffler, and The New York Times. He’s also the author of a new book for Simon & Schuster about the military’s influence on masculinity, entitled God Forgives, Brothers Don’t.
As someone who in the period 2004 – 2016 was intimately involved in engaging politically at both State and Federal level against many of the changes to the law relating to many of the issues raised by Trueman, I found The Desecration of Man a coherent, credible, well-argued case for identifying the moral disaster modern... Continue Reading
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