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The Hard Crowd
The Hard Crowd: Essays 2000-2020 | Rachel Kushner
8 posts | 7 read | 10 to read
From Rachel Kushner the celebrated, exceptionally talented, and philosophically minded writer, (San Francisco Chronicle) and regular contributor to The New Yorker and The New York Times Magazine, a career-spanning collection of spectacular essays encompassing politics, culture, and art. Since her debut more than a decade ago, Rachel Kushner has firmly established herself as not only one of our finest fiction writers, but one of our most incisive essayistseach of her pieces is singular, brilliant, and itself a literary event. Now, in The Hard Crowd, Kushner gathers a selection of her writing over the course of the last twenty years that not only illuminates the themes that underpin her fiction, but addresses the most pressing political, artistic, and cultural issues of our times. In nineteen razor-sharp essays, The Hard Crowd spans literary journalism, memoir, cultural criticism, and writing about art and literature, including pieces on politics, social justice, and her personal relationships, as well as on Jeff Koons, Denis Johnson, and Marguerite Duras. Kushner takes us on a journey through a Palestinian refugee camp in East Jerusalem, the world of truckers, and the music scene of her hometown of San Francisco. Her stories are electric, incisive, and wry, and provide us the opportunity to witness the evolution and range of one of our most dazzling and fearless writers. Kushner writes with startling detail, imagination, and gallows humor. Entertainment Weekly The authority and precision of Kushners writing is impressive, but its the gorgeous ferocity that will stick with me. The Wall Street Journal
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review
TracyReadsBooks
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Mehso-so

An occasionally interesting although not particularly compelling collection of essays which, with the exception of the first two essays, didn‘t really hold my attention. Art, history, literary criticism, & culture are common threads in Kushner‘s writing about an illegal motorcycle race, visiting a Palestinian refugee camp, cars, the music scene in San Francisco & more. Ok but not great.

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TracyReadsBooks
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#WeekendReading

This weekend‘s reading plans include finishing Words of Radiance (I‘m about halfway through so it should be doable), continuing the tagged book and starting Ta-Nehisi Coates‘s Black Panther run. Lots of variety to keep things interesting.

@Andrew65

Andrew65 Have a good weekend of reading. 2y
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Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

Kushner‘s essays are wide ranging. From stories of her life to literary/film criticism to discussions of topics like prison reform, she gives a broad taste of her writing in this collection. There were a couple a didn‘t enjoy as much, but overall it‘s a solid book.

Ruthiella I love her fiction and need to try these essays too. 3y
GingerAntics I feel bad for her with that last name the last 5-6 years. 3y
Megabooks Agree 3y
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rather_be_reading
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Mehso-so

I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would. However there did not seem to be a theme to me so there really wasnt a flow and some of the essays I just did not care about. Her opening essay was great though!

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rather_be_reading
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Book 62

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Megabooks
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Pickpick

Just fantastic! Bookended by two excellent personal essays, this volume is heavy on criticism of art, literature, and European film. Rachel engaged me at every turn with her insights. In some, she weaves together seemingly disparate threads of art, literature, music, and film. She also profiles a community organizer in Palestine and a woman who fights for the abolition of US prisons. I really enjoyed this. #AboutArt #pop21

Andrew65 Great 👏👏👏 3y
Ruthiella Glad to hear this is good! I‘ve loved her novels. 😀 3y
See All 21 Comments
britt_brooke Looks like I need to catch up on her work. I loved The Mars Room. 3y
Megabooks @Ruthiella 👍🏻👍🏻 3y
Megabooks @britt_brooke I loved The Mars Room, too. This is a new release. I‘ve just been anticipating it since the fall. 3y
BarbaraBB The subject sounds great but I didn‘t like The Mars Room nor The Flamethrowers. What do you think?! 3y
Cinfhen I generally have a negative reaction to this author...she rubs me as a pseudo intellect. I‘m glad her essay collection felt genuine but I‘m going to pass. I‘ll be curious to hear your thoughts @britt_brooke @BarbaraBB 3y
BarbaraBB @Cinfhen I feel that way about her too but I do like essays on art and literature 🤷🏻‍♀️. I‘ll probably won‘t get to it any time soon. (edited) 3y
Cinfhen Yeah, I can see the topic interesting for you @BarbaraBB but it doesn‘t seem like a book you need to rush to. xx 3y
Megabooks @BarbaraBB @Cinfhen hey! If you don‘t like her writing, I wouldn‘t hurry to this. I happen to love her, so 🤷🏻‍♀️ 3y
Cinfhen It‘s weird/ certain authors just turn me off for absolutely NO REASON!!! It‘s definitely on me. 3y
BarbaraBB I know you love her, that‘s why I think there‘s something wrong with me!! 3y
vivastory I started The Mars Room awhile back & always meant to continue it. I liked what I read of it 3y
Megabooks @Cinfhen @BarbaraBB I think it‘s great that we all have different preferences. There are so many new authors I find out about through each of you! 3y
Megabooks @vivastory I‘d definitely recommend that one. And I just subscribed to HBO Max this morning. I‘m watching the Heavens Gate documentary now. They just have the best documentaries! Anything else you‘d recommend? 3y
vivastory There's several that I love: Mommy Dead & Dearest, I Love You Now Die, Paradise Lost (I've only seen the first 2), the Slenderman documentary was interesting 3y
vivastory I've also heard great things about Class Action Park 3y
Megabooks @vivastory thank you! (I think 😉) I just started the QAnon one. 😬 Should be interesting! 3y
vivastory Did you see the interview with the director of that one & Anderson Cooper? Apparently at one point during the documentary he believes he discovers who Q is. Wild... 3y
Megabooks @vivastory no I didn‘t! But the first episode seemed to foreshadow him finding Q. All kinds of drama so far. I‘ve watch about 5 hours of documentaries today! 😂😂 I don‘t think I‘m going to do much reading this week. 3y
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Bookalong
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Pickpick

Her more personal essays were my favorites. Like one about a motorcycle race down in Mexico, and another about working in various rock club. And the literary essays I enjoyed too, about Denis Johnson, Cormac McCarthy and another about Margaret Duras, all left me compelled to read more of their work. This was a well compiled collection. There is no doubt Kushner is a magnificent writer. Available April 6th. #bookreview #bookreviewer

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AlexGeorge
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Pickpick

“To become a writer is to have left early no matter what time you got home.” I‘ll read anything Rachel Kushner writes. These essays are sublime. Grab a copy when this comes out in April.

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