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The Longcut

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( 156 ratings, 46 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Longcut by Emily Hall journeys through the vibrant psyche of an unnamed artist, grappling with creativity and identity. As she navigates the landscape of her thoughts and surroundings, the narrative unfolds like a stream of consciousness reflecting her artistic process. This introspective and immersive exploration invites readers to ponder how art intersects with the personal and existential.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$4900

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you love exploring the artistic process and the quest for creativity. It offers a captivating and introspective journey through the protagonist's mind as they seek their artistic purpose, blending narrative with a philosophical look at art and identity.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

From Museum of Modern Art editor Emily Hall, a debut novel in the first person about the place of art and the artist in the world.

Serial rights targeting New Yorker, Paris Review, Harper’s, n+1, Lit Hub Print and digital publicity targeting NPR, The Atlantic, Bookforum, Los Angeles Times, New York Review of Books, London Review of Books, New York Times, Washington Post, The Nation, Lit Hub, Electric Literature Multi-city national tour targeting independent bookstores; promotion at festivals Review copies sent targeting all major print and digital literary media outlets, reviewers, and booksellers; additional copies available upon request Promotion on publisher’s website and social media; promotion via e-newsletters to booksellers, reviewers

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The narrator of The Longcut is an artist who doesn't know what her art is. As she gets lost on her way to a meeting in an art gallery, walking around in circles in a city she knows perfectly well, she finds herself endlessly sidetracked and distracted by the question of what her work is and how she'll know it when she sees it.

Her mental peregrinations take her through the elements that make up her life: her dull office job where she spends the day moving items into a "completed" column, insomniac nights in her so-called studio (also known as her tiny apartment), and encounters with an enigmatic friend who may or may not know her better than she knows herself.

But wherever she looks she finds only more questionsβ€”what is the difference between the world and the photographed world, why do objects wither in different contexts, what is Cambridge blueβ€”that lead her further away from the one thing that really matters.

An extraordinary feat of syntactical dexterity and comic ingenuity, The Longcut is ultimately a story of resistance to easy answers and the place of art and the artist in the world.

Series: American Literature Series

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  • The Longcut
    The narrator of The Longcut is an artist who doesn't know what her art is. As she gets lost on her way to a meeting in an art gallery, walking around in circles in a city she knows perfectly well, she finds herself endlessly sidetracked and distracted by the question of what her work is and how she'll know it...
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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Emily Hall's The Longcut has captivated readers with its bold exploration of the artistic process and the struggle to create under the weight of societal expectations. Described as both hilarious and claustrophobic, this debut novel dives into the anxieties of an artist questioning the very nature of their work amidst the distractions of modern life. Critics highlight its distinctive style and daring narrative that challenges traditional perspectives on art and capitalism.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781628973976

Publisher: Dalkey Archive Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 23 June 2022

Country: United States

Imprint: Dalkey Archive Press

Illustration: Illustrations

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 139.0mm

Height: 215.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 120

About the Author

Emily Hall has been a contributor to Artforum since 2003; her writing has also appeared in the New York Times Book Review, The Stranger, and the zine RedHeaded StepChild. The Longcut, her first novel, was shortlisted for the 2020 Novel Prize. She lives in New York, where she edits exhibition catalogues at The Museum of Modern Art.

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