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aN ECLECTIC PLAYLIST of new INDEPENDENT music
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The Shortlist

short fiction & creative nonfiction
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Features

  • Short Fiction

    Zen

    His truck repossessed by a bail bondsman, a reluctant teenage boy attempts to track down his wanted mother.

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Music Reviews

all Music→
Apr 2 8485 – Software Gore / Personal Protocol

8485 – Software Gore / Personal Protocol
Apr 1 FIEP — Fried Rice, Moon Bliss

FIEP — Fried Rice, Moon Bliss
Mar 31 Bagdad — They Don’t Know

Bagdad — They Don’t Know
Mar 27 Other Half – Transgression is Outdated / Dark Ageism

Other Half – Transgression is Outdated / Dark Ageism
Mar 25 The Boojums: Hot Streak

The Boojums: Hot Streak
Mar 24 The Bug Club — On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System

The Bug Club — On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System
Mar 19 Shiv and the Carvers — Tell Me You Love Me Again EP

Shiv and the Carvers — Tell Me You Love Me Again EP
Mar 19 cootie catcher – Shy at first

cootie catcher – Shy at first
Mar 17 Miynt

Miynt
Mar 13 Adore

Adore
Mar 12 R. Missing

R. Missing
Mar 11 The Orchestra (For Now)

The Orchestra (For Now)
Mar 10 Roach — Everything or Nothing EP

Roach — Everything or Nothing EP
Mar 6 Dumbo Tracks — Move with Intention

Dumbo Tracks — Move with Intention
Mar 5 Fright Years – Still Life EP

Fright Years – Still Life EP
Mar 4 Sophia Stel – Object Permanence

Sophia Stel – Object Permanence
Mar 3 STARNAMEDSUN

STARNAMEDSUN
Feb 27 SMILE — Hot Friend / Price of Progress

SMILE — Hot Friend / Price of Progress
Feb 26 Clutter

Clutter
Feb 25 Mood Bored — Too Much?

Mood Bored — Too Much?

Fiction Reviews

all Fiction→
Apr 2 Liars by Sarah Manguso

Liars by Sarah Manguso
Apr 1 Elizabeth Costello by J.M. Coetzee

Elizabeth Costello by J.M. Coetzee
Mar 27 Gliff by Ali Smith

Gliff by Ali Smith
Mar 25 I Hold a Wolf by the Ears by Laura van den Berg

I Hold a Wolf by the Ears by Laura van den Berg
Mar 13 Dream State by Eric Puchner

Dream State by Eric Puchner
Feb 26 The Noise of Time by Julian Barnes

The Noise of Time by Julian Barnes
Feb 20 Annie Bot by Sierra Greer

Annie Bot by Sierra Greer
Feb 19 Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson

Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson
Feb 18 Interesting Facts About Space by Emily Austin

Interesting Facts About Space by Emily Austin
Feb 13 Clean by Alia Trabucco Zeran (tr. Sophie Hughes)

Clean by Alia Trabucco Zeran (tr. Sophie Hughes)
Feb 12 The Empusium by Olga Tokarczuk (tr. Antonia Lloyd-Jones)

The Empusium by Olga Tokarczuk (tr. Antonia Lloyd-Jones)
Feb 11 Roman Stories by Jhumpa Lahiri

Roman Stories by Jhumpa Lahiri
Jan 29 The Drop by Dennis Lehane

The Drop by Dennis Lehane
Jan 28 Lazarus Man by Richard Price

Lazarus Man by Richard Price
Jan 23 She’s Always Hungry by Eliza Clark

She’s Always Hungry by Eliza Clark
Jan 22 Come Closer by Sara Gran

Come Closer by Sara Gran
Jan 16 State of Paradise by Laura van den Berg

State of Paradise by Laura van den Berg
Jan 15 Rental House by Weike Wang

Rental House by Weike Wang
Jan 9 The Invisibility Cloak by Ge Fei, translated by Canaan Morse

The Invisibility Cloak by Ge Fei, translated by Canaan Morse
Jan 7 The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann

The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann

Nonfiction Reviews

all Nonfiction→
Mar 26 The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You by Neko Case

The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You by Neko Case
Mar 24 Sucker Punch by Scaachi Koul

Sucker Punch by Scaachi Koul
Mar 19 Too Much Too Young by Daniel Rachel

Too Much Too Young by Daniel Rachel
Mar 19 Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams

Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams
Mar 12 Source Code by Bill Gates

Source Code by Bill Gates
Mar 11 The Trading Game by Gary Stevenson

The Trading Game by Gary Stevenson
Mar 6 One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad

One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad
Mar 5 Ruined by Design by Mike Monteiro

Ruined by Design by Mike Monteiro
Mar 4 Charlie Hustle by Keith O’Brien

Charlie Hustle by Keith O’Brien
Feb 27 The Unclaimed by Pamela Prickett and Stefan Timmermans

The Unclaimed by Pamela Prickett and Stefan Timmermans
Feb 25 Radiant: The Life and Line of Keith Haring by Brad Gooch

Radiant: The Life and Line of Keith Haring by Brad Gooch
Feb 6 Every Man for Himself and God Against All by Werner Herzog

Every Man for Himself and God Against All by Werner Herzog
Feb 5 Who’s Afraid of Gender? by Judith Butler

Who’s Afraid of Gender? by Judith Butler
Jan 30 Grief is for People by Sloane Crosley

Grief is for People by Sloane Crosley
Jan 21 The Tech Coup: How to Save Democracy from Silicon Valley by Marietje Schaake

The Tech Coup: How to Save Democracy from Silicon Valley by Marietje Schaake
Jan 15 Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist by Liz Pelly

Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist by Liz Pelly
Jan 14 v13: Chronicle of a trial by Emmanuel Carrère, translated by John Lambert

v13: Chronicle of a trial by Emmanuel Carrère, translated by John Lambert
Jan 8 Question 7 by Richard Flanagan

Question 7 by Richard Flanagan
Dec 19 H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald

H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald
Dec 11 Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs

Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs

Blog Posts

all POSTS→
Mar 14 A Personal Anthology

A Personal Anthology
Mar 6 Introduction: Zen by Kevin Light-Roth

Introduction: Zen by Kevin Light-Roth
Mar 4 Introducing The Spotlight

Introducing The Spotlight
Jan 29 Short Stories by Emily Rinkema

Short Stories by Emily Rinkema
Jan 28 Beastie Boys: Awesome, I Shot That!

Beastie Boys: Awesome, I Shot That!
Jan 16 Derek Fisher: “I’m a big fan of dread.”

Derek Fisher: “I’m a big fan of dread.”
Jan 13 The Walrus on Reading Goal Anxiety

The Walrus on Reading Goal Anxiety
Jan 9 Steven Soderbergh’s timecard

Steven Soderbergh’s timecard
Jan 6 Big Ideas for 2025

Big Ideas for 2025
Dec 31 Looking back at 2024

Looking back at 2024
Dec 24 Twelve days of mailin’ it in Day Twelve: A bunch more

Twelve days of mailin’ it in Day Twelve: A bunch more
Dec 23 Twelve days of mailin’ it in, Day Eleven: Kaeto

Twelve days of mailin’ it in, Day Eleven: Kaeto
Dec 20 Twelve days of mailin’ it in, Day Ten: Good Kid

Twelve days of mailin’ it in, Day Ten: Good Kid
Dec 19 Twelve days of mailin’ it in, Day Nine: SPRINTS

Twelve days of mailin’ it in, Day Nine: SPRINTS
Dec 19 Twelve days of mailin’ it in, Day Eight: Luvcat

Twelve days of mailin’ it in, Day Eight: Luvcat
Dec 17 Twelve days of mailin’ it in, Day Seven: Shelf Lives

Twelve days of mailin’ it in, Day Seven: Shelf Lives
Dec 16 Twelve days of mailin’ it in, Day Six: Birds of Prrrey

Twelve days of mailin’ it in, Day Six: Birds of Prrrey
Dec 13 Twelve days of mailin’ it in, Day Five: Been Stellar

Twelve days of mailin’ it in, Day Five: Been Stellar
Dec 12 Twelve days of mailin’ it in, Day Four: Sofia and the Antoinettes

Twelve days of mailin’ it in, Day Four: Sofia and the Antoinettes
Dec 11 Twelve days of mailin’ it in, Day Three: Teenage Sequence

Twelve days of mailin’ it in, Day Three: Teenage Sequence

What’s Hot

The Boojums: Hot StreakThe Boojums: Hot Streak
8485 - Software Gore / Personal Protocol8485 – Software Gore / Personal Protocol
FIEP — Fried Rice, Moon BlissFIEP — Fried Rice, Moon Bliss
Bagdad — They Don't KnowBagdad — They Don't Know
How to get old Google backHow to get old Google back
Sofia and the AntoinettesSofia and the Antoinettes
Public WorksPublic Works
Goldie Boutilier - The Actress EPGoldie Boutilier – The Actress EP
cootie catcher - Shy at firstcootie catcher – Shy at first
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