weekend links: Casey Rocheteau, Han Kang, West Austin Studio Tour Part Two

Cliona Gunter
Cliona Gunter

Ciona Gunter, She is the pokey cactus I keep touching (l) and Queen of Broken Relationships.Courtesy of The Austin Chronicle.

Casey Rocheteau wrote an essay on why she left The Offing, and it offers important insight into the successful Los Angeles Review of Books channel. Important takeaway: if your goal is to create a voice for the marginalized, make sure you give those voices the power to speak. [The Offing]

Korean novelist Han Kang and translator Deborah Smith won the Man Booker International prize this week for Kang’s novel The Vegetarian. The dreamy, Kafkaesque work tells a tale as old as time: one ordinary woman’s quest to reject consumerism and lead a more plant-like existence. [Flavorwire]

Here’s a fun weekend activity: read this piece on what makes bad writing bad, and instantly regret everything you’ve ever written. [The Guardian]

RIP John Berry, a founding member of the Beastie Boys, and Marlene Marder of Kleenex/LiLiPUT. Everyone’s familiar with the Beasties, but Kleenex was just as influential, one of the first all-girl post-punk bands and an awesome band, period. [FACT]

Artist Cliona Gunter will open her home to visitors this weekend for the West Austin Studio Tour. Catch her thoughts on vulnerability, art, and games, and then go see her work in person at WEST stop #27. [Austin Chronicle]

And here are more WEST recommendations, including those from Jill Schroeder of grayDUCK Gallery, Rebecca Marino of pump project, and our very own editor in chief, Sean Redmond. [Art Alliance Austin]

Might we also suggest coming to our show tonight? Trepidation of Youth features work from artists Jeana Baumgardner and Sean Ripple, Issue 4 contributor Nat Bradford, and Issue 4 and 5 cover artists Manik Raj Nakra and Greg Piwonka, respectively. They’ll be exploring the dark undercurrents of childhood imagination, reenacting and reinterpreting our earliest hopes and fears. Not to be missed! [Facebook]

—Alyssa G. Ramirez and Sean Redmond