Writing During the Apocalypse: Reflections on the Great Unraveling

All of American literature is a tragedy. What we're living through now isn't a tragedy, however – it's a horror novel. Why bother writing when the world's on fire?

Rising authoritarianism. Covid. Inflation. Wealth disparity. War. Climate change. While every time period is marked by apocalyptic fears, it certainly seems like our current anxieties aren't ill placed. And yet, art and literature persist.

In captivating and culturally savvy prose, Ed Simon grapples with the notion that writers a...