Even before the controversy that surrounded the publication of A Million Little Pieces, the question of truth has been at the heart of memoir. From Elie Wiesel to Benjamin Wilkomirski to David Sedaris, the veracity of writers' claims has been suspect. In this fascinating and timely collection of essays, leading writers meditate on the subject of truth in literary nonfiction. As David Lazar writes in his introduction, "How do we verify? Do we care to? (Do we dare to eat the apple of knowledge and say it's true? Or is it a peach?) Do we choose to? Is it a subcategory of faith? How do you respond when someone says, 'This is really true'? Why do they choose to say it then?" The past and the truth are slippery things, and the art of non-fiction writing requires the writer to shape as well as explore. In personal essays, meditations on the nature of memory, considerations of the genres of memoir, prose poetry, essay, fiction, and film, the contributors to this provocative collection attempt to find answers to the question of what truth in nonfiction means. Contributors: John D'Agata, Mark Doty, Su Friedrich, Joanna Frueh, Ray González, Vivian Gornick, Barbara Hammer, Kathryn Harrison, Marianne Hirsch, Wayne Koestenbaum, Leonard Kriegel, David Lazar, Alphonso Lingis, Paul Lisicky, Nancy Mairs, Nancy K. Miller, Judith Ortiz Cofer, Phyllis Rose, Oliver Sacks, David Shields, and Leo Spitzer.

Poetry. "Harel writes with such grace, lacing his preoccupations with such a light touch of humor, that you often forget THE BODY DOUBLE is cut from the same big questions that keep us all up at night. If you've strayed from poetry, this is the book that will bring you back. If you've ever secretly wished that Kafka had been an optimist, this is the poet for you." Tea Obreht "With mischievous appreciation for the human dilemma, THE BODY DOUBLE charts the adventures of a rebellious, canny self within the self, and in doing so offers an imaginative perspective on both the classic doppelganger and the contemporary fascination with identity. These charming ontological poems suggest our myopia and powerlessness in the face of our own fears and delusions. They offer a wild exploration of proximity: estranged identities we wish we could suppress, the neighboring self we pity or blame. The wily id morphs into a sweeter version of the evil twin a double-tasking double-dealer who gradually subsumes the hapless narrator. By means of such subtle doubling, Jared Harel entertains and surprises as he encounters and enlivens one of the great literary motifs." Alice Fulton "THE BODY DOUBLE is an impressive achievement of imagination and wordplay. With this, his first collection, Harel enters the American literary scene already accomplished. An estimable debut." BJ Ward "When we look closely at 'I, ' we always seem to see a stranger, and so the doppelg nger is a perennial figure of dream. The shadow self follows us, looks back sometimes from the face of a person across from us at the intersection, and sometimes seems to speak out of our mouths before we know what's happening. Harel's witty and inventive poem employs a wide register of forms from the sonnet to the legal contract to investigate the inexhaustible power of Rimbaud's dictum: Je est un autre." Mark Doty "Jared Harel's poetry is spare, beautiful, and evocative. He represents a unique voice in his generation." Liz Rosenberg"

A thrilling memoir from the former chief of the Brooklyn District Attorney's Rackets Division, who took on organized crime, crooked cops, and con men, rarely losing a case From 2001 to 2013, Mike Vecchione was chief of the Rackets Division in the Brooklyn District Attorney's office, which was the largest urban prosecution agency in the country. Vecchione grappled with organized crime and dirty politicians, during which he supervised, investigated, and prosecuted major felony cases. Crooked Brooklyn is a gritty story of corruption, greed and law enforcement. Vecchione navigated a political minefield and expertly rose to the judicial challenges of directing investigations into a wide variety of crimes, from bribe-taking judges to cold-blooded killers. He was responsible for taking down: - Three state Supreme Court judges - One of the most powerful political bosses in the country - Two cops who worked as assassins for the Mafia - A State Assemblywoman - An FBI agent - A corrupt oral surgeon who was secretly selling bones from the recently deceased to medical supply companies Unbelievable and unforgettable, Crooked Brooklyn is filled with characters and stories ripped straight from the tabloids, great for fans who enjoy Law & Order, readers of true crime and those hungry for details about the system that keeps us safe.

In this “timeless and original” sci-fi thriller (New York Times), a hardboiled baseball scout must solve the murder of his brother in a world transformed by body modification, perfect for readers of William Gibson and Max Barry. An Esquire Pick for the Top 50 Sci-Fi Books of All Time A New York Times Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Novel of 2021 "A breathlessly paced techno-thriller characterized by stunning, spiky worldbuilding." — Esquire In the future you can have any body you want—as long as you can afford it. But in a New York ravaged by climate change and repeat pandemics, Kobo is barely scraping by. He scouts the latest in gene-edited talent for Big Pharma-owned baseball teams, but his own cybernetics are a decade out of date and twin sister loan sharks are banging down his door. Things couldn't get much worse. Then his brother—Monsanto Mets slugger J.J. Zunz—is murdered at home plate. Determined to find the killer, Kobo plunges into a world of genetically modified CEOs, philosophical Neanderthals, and back-alley body modification, only to quickly find he's in a game far bigger and more corrupt than he imagined. To keep himself together while the world is falling apart, he'll have to navigate a time where both body and soul are sold to the highest bidder. Diamond-sharp and savagely wry, The Body Scout is a timely science fiction thriller debut set in an all-too-possible future. "I devoured it." —Jonathan Lethem "Completely weird and still completely real. Delightful—I couldn't put it down."—Shea Serrano

It's murder most viral in this debut mystery by Olivia Blacke. Bayou transplant Odessa Dean has a lot to learn about life in Brooklyn. So far she's scored a rent free apartment in one of the nicest neighborhoods around by cat-sitting, and has a new job working at Untapped Books & Café. Hand-selling books and craft beers is easy for Odessa, but making new friends and learning how to ride the subway? Well, that might take her a little extra time. But things turn more sour than an IPA when the death of a fellow waitress goes viral, caught on camera in the background of a couple's flash-mob proposal video. Nothing about Bethany's death feels right to Odessa--neither her sudden departure mid-shift nor the clues that only Odessa seems to catch. As an up-and-coming YouTube star, Bethany had more than one viewer waiting for her to fall from grace. Determined to prove there's a killer on the loose, Odessa takes matters into her own hands. But can she pin down Bethany's killer before they take Odessa offline for good?

"Brooklyn, New York is a foodie destination, but not a snobby one, and this cookbook follows suit. It is filled with unpretentious recipes from the locals--artisans and chefs and ordinary folk--who love their New York borrow and go out of their way to celebrate the vast array of local foods produced there. And, like the eclectic population--Italian, Asian, Polish, Mexican, you name it-- you never know what you are going to find when you turn the page. The fun comes in reading about the contributor, finding out what that person does, then seeing what they have created. Even the chapters are a little bit unusual. When was the last time you saw one for fingerfood, pickles, and sides? Part travel guide, part cookbook, part great read, this book, the first in a series of FOUR Edible cookbooks, offers a front row seat to one of American's most exciting food fests"--

"After her mother, Mirella, abandoned her family to reclaim her roots in the Dominican Republic, Penelope Grand moved back to Brooklyn to keep an eye on her ailing father. When she receives a postcard from Mirella seeking reconciliation, old wounds are reopened, secrets revealed, and a journey across an ocean of sacrifice and self-discovery begins"--