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Best of 2019: Books, TV, Scandals and More
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It's a LARB Holiday Season tradition! Kate, Daya, and Eric review all that they read, watched, attended, and gossiped about to select their favorites from the past year. The result is a broad, eclectic array. Indeed, the first work chosen is by an author who died in 1996. Many more surprises ensue. A few of our picks are by authors or directors that we interviewed over the past year. Most, however, were not previously discussed on the show. No matter, every selection sparks a spirited discussion. As Eric warns in the introduction, "no one chose only one thing in any category." So, get out your notepads and prepare for an avalanche of excellence.
Our Recommendations:
Books:
Me & Other Writing by Marguerite Duras, Translated By Olivia Baes & Emma Ramadan
Babysitter at Rest by Jen George
Creature by Amina Cain
Essays One by Lydia Davis
How To Do Nothing by Jenny Odell | Listen to our interview
Last Days at Hot Slit by Andrea Dworkin, Edited by Amy Scholder & Johanna Fateman | Listen to our interview
Outline Trilogy by Rachel Cusk
Normal People by Sally Rooney
The Door by Magda Szabo
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Movie:
The Competition by Claire Simon
The Beach Bum by Harmony Korine
The Farewell by Lulu Wang
Parasite by Bong Joon-Ho | Listen to our interview
TV:
Los Espookys | HBO
Hip Hop Evolution | Netflix
Rhythm & Flow | Netflix
Elite | Netflix
Paquita Salas | Netflix
Paquita Salas | Netflix
Art:
Implicit Tensions: Mapplethorpe Now | The Guggenheim, NYC
Notes on Camp | The Metropolitan Museum, NYC
Isaac Julien: Playtime | LACMA, LA
With Pleasure: Pattern and Decoration in American Art 1972-1985 | MoCA, LA
Tala Madani: Shit Moms | David Kordansky Gallery, LA
Zach Harris: Studies for 20/20 | David Kordansky Gallery, LA
David Hammons | Hauser & Wirth, LA
Podcasts:
Making Gay History hosted by Eric Marcus
Welcome to LA hosted by David Weinberg | KCRW
Bow Down hosted by Jennifer Higgie | Frieze
Recording Artists hosted by Helen Molesworth | The Getty
Red Scare hosted by Anna Khachiyan & Dasha Nekrasova
Scandals!
College Admissions Scandal
Stolen Kids of Sarah Lawrence
Surviving R. Kelly
LARB Contributor
The LARB Radio Hour is hosted by Eric Newman, Medaya Ocher, and Kate Wolf.
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