The blog of author Dennis Cooper

Mine for yours: My favorite fiction, poetry, non-fiction, music, film, art, and internet of 2025

Fiction
(in no order)

Laura Vasquez THE ENDLESS WEEK (Dorothy)

Charlotte Northall PRACTICING DYING (Pilot Press)

C.L. Methvin EUSECT (tRaum Books)

sasha hawkins FOR DISOBEYING (Calamari Archive)

Thomas Moore WE’LL NEVER BE FRAGILE AGAIN (Amphetamine Sulphate)

Andrew Gallix LOREN IPSUM (Dodo Ink)

Mike Corrao BEING TOWARDS DEATH (Crop Circle Press)

Victoria Brooks SILICONE GOD (House of Vlad)

Grace Nissan THE UTOPIANS (Ugly Duckling Presse)

Kenward Elmslie THE ORCHID STORIES (Pilot Press)

Hob Broun CARDINAL NUMBERS (Calamari Archive)

Lynne Tillman THRILLED TO DEATH: SELECTED STORIES (Soft Skull)

Calvin Westra MOTH GIRL (ExPat Press)

Francis Whorrall-Campbell THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT HAVE BEEN DOWNLOADED (Good Press)

Gonçalo M. Tavares A GIRL IS LOST IN HER CENTURY, LOOKING FOR HER FATHER (Dalkey Archive)

David Leo Rice THE SQUIMBOP CONDITION (11:11 Press)

Kit Schluter CARTOONS (City Lights)

Helen DeWitt & Ilya Gridneff YOUR NAME HERE (Dalkey Archive)

Arreshy Young CODON (Calamari Archive)

Tony O’Neill FORGED PRESCRIPTIONS (Far West Press)

Mr. Omar King AN ODYSSEY OF DINGBATS! (IP)

Joshua Escobar DEMONS OF EMINENCE (Publication Studio)

Ronald M. Schernikau SMALLTOWNNOVELLA (Ugly Duckling Presse)

Logan Berry DOOM IS THE HOUSE WITHOUT A DOOR (Inside the Castle)

Grant Maierhofer TRAUMNOVELLE (Erratum Press)

Pierre Guyotat IDIOCY (NYRB)

Matthew Kinlin SO TENDER A KILLER (Filthy Loot)

Joe Westmoreland TRAMPS LIKE US (MCD)

Robert Gluck PURPLE MEN 2000 (Ssnake Press)

 

 

Poetry
(in no order)

Kay Gabriel PERVERTS (Night Boat)

Amy Gerstler IS THIS MY FINAL FORM? (Penguin)

Ron Koertge PANDORA’S KITCHEN (Red Hen Press)

Gloria Frym LIES & MORE LIES (BlazeVox)

Elaine Equi OUT OF THE BLANK (Coffee House)

Jerome Sala GLOP (BlazeVox)

Emily Skillings TANTRUMS IN AIR (The Song Cave)

David Trinidad NEW PLAYLIST (Pitt Poetry Series)

Paul Cunningham SOCIOCIDE AT THE 24/7 (New Michigan Press)

Margaret Ross SATURDAY (The Song Cave)

Ron Padgett PINK DUST (NYRB)

Thomas Moore I RUINED YOUR LIFE (Kiddiepunk)

Tony Towle LATE SKETCHES & STUDIES (Kulvert Books)

Ariana Reines THE ROSE (Graywolf Press)

Brian Alan Ellis THE ERRORS TOUR (House of Vlad)

Kevin Killian PADAM PADAM: COLLECTED POEMS (Nightboat)

Cletus Crow JESUS FREAK (Pig Roast)

Sholto Buck LIGHT FILM (Pilot Press)

Kit Robinson TUNES & TENS (Roof Books)

Dom Lyne THE SKY WAS EMPTY, BUT THE THUNDER STILL ROLLED (Queer Mojo)

 

 

Nonfiction
(in no order)

Avital Ronell AMERICA: THE TROUBLED CONTINENT OF THOUGHT (‎Polity)

Ian Penman ERIK SATIE THREE PIECE SUITE (Semiotext(e))

Clark Coolidge & Tom Clark ROCK NOTES (Lithic Press)

Yasmine Shamma, Rona Cran, eds. CONVERSATIONS WITH NEW YORK SCHOOL POETS (Edinburgh University Press)

Naomi Falk THE SURRENDER OF MAN (Inside the Castle)

Peggy Ahwesh SOURCEBOOKS (Visual Studies Workshop)

New Juche HEAT DEATH ISSUE 2 (Gallows Fruit)

Lidia Yuknavitch READING THE WAVES (Penguin)

Ron Padgett DICK: A MEMOIR OF DICK GALLUP (Cuneiform)

Robert Ford, Trent Adkins, Lawrence Warren, ed.THING (Primary Information)

Mike Hoolboom WORK (Canadian Film Institute)

Nathan Kernan A DAY LIKE ANY OTHER: THE LIFE OF JAMES SCHUYLER (FSG)

Chris Kelso ON MELTING: ESSAYS AGAINST THE BODY (Filthy Loot)

Stewart Home FASCIST YOGA (Pluto Press)

Joe Brainard LOVE, JOE: THE SELECTED LETTERS OF JOE BRAINARD (Columbia University Press)

J. Hoberman EVERYTHING IS NOW (Verso)

Jeff Copeland LOVE YOU MADLY, HOLLY WOODLAWN (Feral House)

 

 

Music
(in no order)

7038634357 WATERFALL HORIZON (Blank Forms Editions)

Läuten der Seele UNTERHALTUNGEN MIT LARVEN UND ÜBERRESTEN (World of Echo)

Sparks MAD! (Transgressive Records)

Um, Jennifer? UM COMMA JENNIFER QUESTION MARK (Final Girls)

Destroyer DAN’S BOOGIE (Merge)

Kali Malone THE SACRIFICIAL CODE (Ideologic)

Dean Blunt ft. Elias Rønnenfelt LUCRE (World Music)

Tashi Dorji WE WILL BE WHEREVER THE FIRES ARE LIT (Drag City)

Guided by Voices THICK RICH AND DELICIOUS (Rockathon)

Yallah and Debmaster GAUDENCIA (Hakuna Kulala)

KMRU KIN (Editions Mego)

Lucy Railton BLUE VEIL (Ideologic Organ)

The Fall SINGLES LIVE VOL. 1: 1978-81 (Bella Union)

Jenny Hval IRIS SILVER MIST (4AD)

Haswell & Hecker UPIC DIFFUSION SESSION #23 (Editions Mego)

Youth Code YOURS, WITH MALICE (Sumerian)

Kevin Drumm IF TOMORROW GETS HERE (iDeal)

Backxwash ONLY DUST REMAINS (Ugly Hag Records)

Nina Garcia BYE BYE BIRD (Ideologic Organ)

Aki Onda IN THE DEPTH OF ILLUSION: A SOUNDTRACK FOR NERVOUS MAGIC LANTERN (Drowned World)

Stephen O’Malley BUT REMEMBER WHAT YOU HAVE HAD (SPGRM 015)

Anthony Braxton B-X0 N0-47A (BYG Records)

Collapsible Shoulder Big Band A MAP OF BOOKS (Cuneiform)

 

 

Film
(in no order)

Harmony Korine BABY INVASION

Mona Convert UN PAYS EN FLAMMES

Albert Serra AFTERNOONS OF SOLITUDE

Wes Anderson THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME

Julian Castronovo DEBUT, OR, OBJECTS OF THE FIELD OF DEBRIS AS CURRENTLY CATALOGUED

Robina Rose NIGHTSHIFT (restoration)

Alex Ross Perry PAVEMENTS

Tanner D. Masseth, Blake Robbins, Jay Villalobos, Jose Perez, Hank Allen, Breeding Castle, Melissa Cha, Crisis Acting, Dana Dawud, Kayla Drzewicki, Gavin DuBois, Andrea Florens, Janelle Howerton, Levels of Nuance, Emma Murray, Progga, Abbey Pusz, Redacted Cut, Max Rooney, Paranoia State, Twee Whistler, Elijah Valter, Brian Wiebe, Esteban Alarcón, Dziga Vertov MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA

Jinho Myung SOFTSHELL

Gary Hustwit ENO

James Benning LITTLE BOY

 

 

Art
(in no order)

LUC DELAHAYE (Jeu de Paume)

JOHN BALDESSARI (Bozar, Brussels)

B Wurtz 13 WORKS (Garth Greenan Gallery)

Louise Bourgeois GATHERING WOOL (Hauser & Wirth, NYC)

Robert Rauschenberg FABRIC WORKS OF THE 1970s (Menil Collection)

RAMMELLZEE (Palais de Tokyo)

Stephen Prina A LICK AND A PROMISE (MoMA, NYC)

Mark Leckey AS ABOVE SO BELOW (Lafayette Anticipations)

Stanya Kahn LOVE HOURS: RITES AND CURSES (Gattopardo)

Alice Coltrane MONUMENT ETERNAL (Hammer Museum)

Bruce Nauman PASADENA YEARS (Marian Goodman, Los Angeles)

Vaginal Davis MAGNIFICENT PRODUCT (PS1)

Julius Eastman and Arthur Russell WORLDS OF ECHO (Red Cat)

Matthew RonayTHIRTEEN FORMS (Perrotin, Paris)

Deana Lawson (Pinault Collection, Paris)

Lecia Dole-Recio ESSAYS ON ABSTRACTION, PART 3 (The Fold Gallery)

James Turrell AT ONE (Le Bourget)

G.B. Jones THE FILMS OF G.B. JONES (Air de Paris)

Jason Yates HURTS TO WALK (Gatto Pardo)

NOAH DAVIS (Hammer Museum)

Amy Sarkisian THIS. (Alto Beta/Night Gallery)

 

 

Internet
(in no order)

Zona Motel
SCAB
ASTERISM
Anna’s Archive
zlibrary
The Wire
Original Cinemaniac
GAMESCENES
Skullcrushing Hummingbird
Internet Archive
VK Video
PLAY THERAPY V2.0
Solidarity Cinema
otherppl
WAKE ISLAND
Mattazine Society
pixiv
{ feuilleton }
SHABBY DOLL HOUSE
too scared to tell my mom
espresso bongo
X-R-A-Y
Art and Trash
Legsville
Rhizome
Theme Park Review
ok.ru
Musique Machine
ANGUSRAZE
PEPPERLAND SPICERACK
Beaucoup
Expat
SOAP2DAY
Volume 1 Brooklyn
Experimental Cinema
The Los Angeles Review of Books
3:AM Magazine
largehearted boy
pantaloons
Locus Solus: The New York School of Poets
giphy
The Wonderful World of Tam Tam Books
Hobart
Ubuweb

 

 

*

p.s. Hey. So, there are my favorites of this year. I am certain that I’ve forgotten things that should be in there. If you feel like sharing your 2025 favorites with me, that would be highly welcome, thank you. As usual when I’m freshly returned from some distant place, I have rather bad jet lag this morning, and that will affect my responses today, and my apologies in advance. ** Dominik, Hi, D!!!! I’m jet lagged but otherwise good. Can you even remember whether you made yourself leave your house that weekend? On the buches, we waited too long and our top choices (cheese wheel, melted apples, a few others) are all sold out! We have a fallback choice which we’ll find out if we can score today. Fingers crossed. Buddy-like conversation over a few beers then I screwed Love’s butt into a pile of mashed potatoes. Pity he won’t kiss, G. ** _Black_Acrylic, Thanks, pal. Everything went really well. Hope you get the calendar. ‘Erratic Boulders’ is a nice name. Yay, a UK Xmas disaster! I’ll go pore over that shortly. Thank you, maestro.** Misanthrope, Hi, G. Really nice seeing you and the boys and having a lovely if too brief chat. Hope you guys maxed out NYC. ** KW, Hi! I hope you got to see it. ** Bill, Christianity and dubious taste in art would seem to be a historic problem. You get your list together? ** julian, Hi, julian! Things have been good. ‘Longpig’ is a curious term. I guess pig but longer in stature? You got me. At the NYC reading I read from the script-in-progress for Zac’s and my next film because you had to read works-in-progress and that is the only thing I have that qualifies. Great about the EP. I’m excited to get and hear it! Everyone, The very highly talented julian aka Julian Sellers has released an EP of songs and, even without yet hearing it, I can guarantee it’s essential. Hear it here. ** Jules, Hey! Did you come to the screening? Excuse me if I know you did and my jetlag is repressing my memories. Have you made progress on or finished the fiction piece? Curious to hear how that went. ** Brendan, Hey, B! I saw your show, as you know, and it was and remains a big treat!!! ** Vincent Truant, Hi! Thank you! What a lovely poem. A grateful bow to you. What else is going on with you? ** Justin D, Hi, Justin. Yeah, obviously we were super psyched to make John Waters’s list. Thanks a lot. How are you doing? ** Alice, Hi, Alice. The trip went very well, thanks. That AI advice, spooky. Collaborative video editing its so much fun. Well, as long you generally agree, I guess. I hope that pans out. I’m happy to see you again, and of course I look forward to any conversations you feel like having. Hopefully I’ll be less cloudy in the brain by then. ** Dustin, Hi, Dustin! Very nice to see you. And thanks to Jay for that. Thank you about ‘Closer’. I will absolutely go find _9MOTHER9HORSE9EYES9 as soon as my brain is fully functioning again, thanks so much! Sounds pretty exciting. Obviously, feel very free to hang out here and talk or whatever if you feel like it. ** Steve, Hi, Steve. The trip was great. All of the screenings were packed and enthusiastic. We couldn’t have been happier. I’ll go find your review, thank you! There were some memorable questions, but my brain is too hazy this morning to recollect them. Everyone, Here’s Steve: ‘I posted the next-to-last “Radio Not Radio” episode of 2025 tonight. This one features Hayward X Dalek, Sonitus Misssarium, Logic Lost, Voivod, Ortopedic Quartet, Qasu, Zu, Effie, Chappell Roan (DJ Ericnem remix), Aphex Twin, Racio Sensacion & Stereo, Not For Radio, Hopeasiivet, Infinite Coles, Ezya, Syztema, Brenda, Opiate, Midori Hirano, Klein, Split Enz, Anthony Moore, Peter Hammill, SPELLLING, Marta Del Grandi and Metal Preyers.’ ** Jeff J, Hi, Jeff. The screenings went really, really well, thanks. Highlights: mm, the NYC screenings were fantastic, and that was probably the highlight. Seeing friends. The Vaginal Davis and Stephen Prina retrospectives in NYC were topnotch. I saw your emails, thank you! I’ll get to them and get back to you when my brain is awake, tomorrow or thereabouts. So cool about your successful screenings! Amazing, really. Sure, let’s catch up when your time is right. And thanks about the help with the possible screening. We’re starting to set up the next batch of screenings now. ** Carsten, Hi, pal. Everything went really well on the tour/trip. The Brain Dead Studios experience was excellent. Packed, and the response was great, and the BDS people were very welcoming. Thanks about the Waters list thing. Yeah, that was a great surprise. A lot of people I know in NYC were sick or coming down with something. Winter, I suppose. Lovely to see you. ** Nicholas., Haha, yeah, that was super nice getting to meet you and talk little. Thanks a lot for being so kind and cool. Me too: tired. But good tired, like you, I presume. But without the time difference damage to the system. Take care, and talk with you again pronto. ** Laura, Hey there! Travels were great. I guess the NYC screenings were the big highpoint. I’m happy the slaves tided you over and triggered your thoughts and that they triggered your typing fingers. I start editing my stuff while I’m still drafting it. I don’t know how else to proceed. Aw, thanks about ‘Try’. I have heard the live Husker Du thing, and, yeah, it’s stellar. I’ll go read your poem once my brain is worthy of it. My poetry? I guess the Selected Poems book ‘The Dream Police’? It’s probably the only one in print if it’s even in print. We’re trying to sort out the buche today and eat it tomorrow if that turns out to be possible. I’ve read about the Heated Rivalry adaptation, but that’s all. Italian kid … which one is that? I don’t think any of them are Italian in reality? Luck with the editing. We had snow in NYC, and I think I’ve gotten my fill for now. ** horatio, Hi, horatio! And there it is up above for better or worse. There are a number of old guys on the slave sites that want to be snuffed. More than young wannabe snuffees. I just never put them here because my concentration is on the younger slaves. Great to see you! Next time I’ll be actually awake and functioning properly, I hope. ** Steeqhen, Oh, well, you can’t see everything. Yeah, thanks about the JW list. That was amazing. Brandon Flynn hosted the Q&A at the second NYC screening. He was very nice. He’s adapting Gary Indiana’s novel ‘Rent Boy’ into a film that he’ll direct and star in. Writing group: great. Those can be really valuable. Let me know when you pop over here, yes. ** HaRpEr //, Hi, Harper! All went well. A lot of people in NYC had the flu while we were there. Whoa. first draft finished, big congrats. That’s always the worst part, for me anyway. Yes, The Dare was at the first screening in NYC, and his being there caused quite the fuss. Let’s see your list! ** Connie, Hi, Connie! Thank you about the Waters thing. And thanks for attending to the slaves. Yes, your Xmas piece was/is sweetness! Xmas is soon. I’m unprepared although I don’t do anything for Xmas other than eat a buche and make sure I have cigarettes before all the tabacs close. What do you have going on, Xmas-wise? ** darbz (⊙ _ ⊙ ), Hi! Trip was really good, thanks. Fuck the poetry rejectors. That happens more often than not. Good, smart poetry venue editors are not the rule, unfortunately. Let me think about suggestions because my brain power is weak this morning, if you can’t tell. No, I think there are no traces of any visual art I ever made, thank god. How someone can so activate your heart and imagination as to cause you to put out writing is as good as life gets maybe? You were the butt plug! Congratulations! xoxo. ** Right. I guess attend to my lists and I guess I will try to go get my sleeping patterns in much better order, and I will see you tomorrow whether that works or not.

13 Comments

  1. Shane Christmass

    Solid bunch of interesting shit as always. Really keen to read that Vic Brooks book. And the Kay Gabriel. Both on a big pile of unread stuff next to me. Hope you’re well DC. Xo. SJX

  2. _Black_Acrylic

    Welcome back to Europe just in time for Xmas! Some nice choices up here and this is my own list of the great and good:

    FILM
    Eddington (Ari Aster) I’m with John Waters on this one.

    BOOK
    Charlotte Northall – Practicing Dying (Pilot Press)
    Thomas Moore – We’ll Never Be Fragile Again (Amphetamine Sulphate)

    MUSIC
    Rian Treanor & Cara Tolmie – Body Lapse (Planet Mu)
    Polygonia – Dream Horizons {Dekmantel)
    SB&C – Pulsatrix (Signals)

  3. Malik

    Welcome back, Dennis! Always a joy to see your year-end list. A great bit of insight into what’s hooked you, and a reminder for me to read more new small press fiction.

    Here are my (very long) lists! All are pretty much done besides film. Always playing catchup until February. Glad to have caught Debut at the Maryland Film Festival, and Afternoons of Solitude was another Serra banger. Both are in my top 20, but these are long enough as it is. I’d have to email the rest, along with my album/EP charts, lol.

    BOOKS
    Be Dead – Mayah Monet Lovell (poetry)
    Crumb: A Cartoonist’s Life – Dan Nadel (nonfic)
    I Do Know Some Things – Richard Siken (poetry)
    Living in Your Light – Abdellah Taïa, tr. Emma Ramadan (fic)
    Near Flesh – Katherine Dunn (fic)
    No Sense in Wishing – Lawrence Burney (nonfic) [biased cuz it’s my cousin, but it’s also a great essay collection]
    Radiant: The Life and Line of Keith Haring – Brad Gooch (nonfic)
    Underground Barbie – Maša Kolanović (fic)

    MUSIC
    Earl Sweatshirt – Live Laugh Love
    Los Thuthanaka – S/T
    Clipse – Let God Sort Em Out
    Annahstasia – Tether
    keiyaA – hooke’s law
    Rochelle Jordan – Through The Wall
    billy woods – GOLLIWOG
    Navy Blue – The Sword & The Soaring
    MIKE- Showbiz!
    Model/Actriz – Pirouette
    Dean Blunt & Elias Rønnenfelt – Lucre
    Burial – Comafields / Imaginary Festival

    FILMS
    It Was Just an Accident (Jafar Panahi)
    One Battle After Another (Paul Thomas Anderson)
    The Phoenician Scheme (Wes Anderson)
    Weapons (Zach Cregger)
    On Becoming a Guinea Fowl (Rungano Nyoni)
    The Mastermind (Kelly Reichardt)
    Baby Invasion (Harmony Korine)
    Sentimental Value (Joachim Trier)
    Room Temperature (Dennis Cooper, Zac Farley) [❤️❤️]
    Misericordia (Alain Guiraudie)

    ART
    SCOUT Art Fair (ArtScape)
    Subscape Music Fest

    • Malik

      Oh, how could I forget? THING is probably my most used coffee table book. Everyone just swipes it to flip through.

  4. jay

    Hey Dennis! Hope you’re well. I would certainly put both of the new Thomas Moore in my top end-of-year list too. The Chris Kelso was amazing too. I think you’re maybe my premier alternative source of recommendations, so I’ve got a big overlap with yours. “THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT HAVE BEEN DOWNLOADED” was really, really so good too.

    I would say in terms of film, “Magic Farm” was maybe my favourite thing this year. I liked the new “Rosalia” a lot too, it was the techno/classical/baroque fusion that I’ve always kind of fantasised about. “Blue Prince” is also maybe the best game I’ve played for years, although I’m not anywhere near done with it (despite having 50-odd pages of notes about various puzzles) – that game’s been kind of constantly bubbling over in the background of my head, it’s very interesting. Oh, and the new Jon Fosse was amazing, although not super different from the rest of his writing. I kind of agree with you not including effedupmovies on your end-of-year list, that site seems to have taken a huge downslide recently, I think the more interesting curator may have given the position to someone a bit more straightforwardly edgy. Anyway, thanks for the list, see you!

  5. Joe

    Hi Dennis!

    Thank you so much for the honour of inclusion in your list! Good to have you back. I read Steve Erickson’s review of RT and I really can’t wait to see it. When and how might this be possible?

    My list is simply what I can remember consuming and liking this year:

    Repetition – Peter Handke
    Slow Homecoming – Peter Handke (mostly just the whole of the first part)
    The Language of the Third Reich – Victor Klemperer
    The Leopard – GT Di Lampedusa
    Germinal – Zola
    The Mollino Set – Lytle Shaw

    Also recently read a series of books about Francis Bacon released by his estate. Criticism not my sort of thing usually, but I went down a rabbit hole with it. I know you don’t like Bacon, I’d be very interested to hear why. I find him compelling even though I think most of his paintings are ultimately unsuccessful. But their failure is somehow a part of what compels me, I think.

    Thanks again!

    x

  6. Montse

    Hi, Dennis!! How are you?
    I’m sorry I haven’t been here for a long time. I’ve been very busy and also the blog was on vacation a few times I checked. I hope the film tour went super well. And that you get over jet lag asap! Any news on the Barcelona festivals front? I thought of you a lot in Sitges! Such a shame the film was not there. The movies I saw were pretty bad.
    Thank you for the list! I’d like to read ‘Practicing Dying’, Thomas’s books and a few more.

    Last week I saw Marie Losier’s ‘Barking in the Dark’, which vas very cool. I really like her films. I also liked ‘Die My Love’ and ‘Peter Hujar’s Day’.
    One of my favorite records has been Water From Your Eyes’ ‘It’s a Beautiful Place’. They played here a couple of weeks ago. Nice gig. Looking forward to listening to the music from the list I don’t know yet.

    Take care and good luck with the buches!

    Love,

    Montse

  7. Ken Baumann

    Dennis!

    Lovely list, as always. Thanks for sharing it. I was particularly pleased to see Zona Motel up top!

    A recent book, film, and game I’ll likely return to:
    Wave of Blood by Ariana Reines
    One Battle After Another
    Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

    Mostly my head this year was submerged in older stuff. I work at my alma mater and they offer staff a big discount on their grad programs, so I’m now in their Middle Eastern Classics master’s program (part-time). Gilgamesh is fucking fantastic!

    Life is good. We’re in the “care for our parents” phase right now but are set up to do so mostly comfortably. Still living in Santa Fe. Aviva builds and remodels homes now, has her own business and everything. I keep plugging away at essays & reviews via my Substack and Zona Motel, and I put out my tenth book this year (a little novella called The Christian: A Comedy). Blake and I co-edited and published a paperback anthology called You May Now Fail To Destroy Me, too. It was great to revive that collaborative part of our relationship, and we talked on the phone a lot about art and life and politics this year, which ruled.

    I hope you and yours are in great shape (jetlag be damned). We miss and love you!

    — Ken & Aviva

  8. Eric C.

    Welcome back, Dennis!

    Hope everything went well, you found receptive crowds, had good conversations, etc. Wishing you a swift jet lag recovery for sure.

    Also, wow. Lots of homework for me to dig into here. Definitely some stuff I wish I’d have checked out, but haven’t yet! A lot of the films I saw in 2025 just didn’t quite hit for me (except Weapons), so it’s good to have some more movies on my plate to check out, especially. For new music, based on your list, you may want to check out the album Halo On The Inside by a Chicago artist called Circuit des Yeux. Operatic post-industrial drone/ambient if I had to roughly put a name on her music. Amazing singer. I saw her open for Alan Sparhawk from Low at the beginning of this year and was in awe the whole time during her set.

    Welcome back!

  9. Steve

    May your jet lag disappear ASAP!

    I’ve noticed that a lot of people here are getting sick. I thought I might have the flu last week, but I saw my doctor yesterday, and he says it’s just allergies.

    What’s the new version of MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA?

    top 10 films:
    BLKNWS: TERMS AND CONDITIONS
    CAUGHT BY THE TIDES
    CLOUD
    THE MASTERMIND
    MY UNDESIRABLE FRIENDS PART I: LAST AIR IN MOSCOW
    PREDATORS
    REFLECTION IN A DEAD DIAMOND
    SINNERS
    THE TEMPLE WOODS GANG
    VULCANIZADORA

    (I’m going by American theatrical runs or streaming premieres in 2025.)

    Top 10 Albums:

    Sudan Archives, The BPM (Stones Throw)
    Benefits, Constant Noise (Invada)
    Rosalia, Lux (Columbia)
    Neko Case, Neon Grey Midnight Green (Anti-)
    YHWH Nailgun, 45 Pounds (AD93)
    Kali Uchis, Sincerely (Capitol)
    Sadness/Soulless, Burning As The First Light (self-released)
    Tropical Fuck Storm, Fairyland Codex (Fire)
    Little Simz, Lotus (AWAL)
    Fieldwork, Thereupon (Pi Recordings)

    The next 10:

    The Beths, Straight Line Was A Lie (Anti-)
    Aya, Hexed! (Hyperdub)
    FKA twigs, Eusexua & Eusexua Afterglow (Atlantic)
    Geese, Getting Killed (Partisan)
    The Ex, If Your Mirror Breaks (self-released)
    Lorde, Virgin (Republic)
    U, Archenfield (Lex)
    Circuit des Yeux, Halo on the Inside (Matador)
    MC Yallah & Debmaster, Gaudencia (Hakuna Kulala)
    Billy woods, Golliwog (Backwoodz Studioz)

  10. l@rst

    Thanks for including Skullcrushing Hummingbird my friend!!!! I’ll work on a little list while I’m on the clock today and I look forward to diving deeper into yours!

  11. Connie

    Hi Dennis,
    Cigarettes and Buche sounds like an awesome holiday plan. Smoke/eat like one million of them for me! I’m going to be heading home in a couple days and spending the week with my family. I’m looking forward to it but being there that long makes me crazy. I also have to see my uncle who is a youth pastor and sends kids to conversion therapy, that’s bleh. I’m working on a video mix for a friend so at least I’ll be busy. Also my family has a hot tub and that’s gonna save me. I need to get high in hot tub so bad. It’s my holiday tradition.

  12. Morgan M Page

    Love to see Kay Gabriel on this list!

    Two of my fav reads this year were Jeanne Thornton’s A/S/L, and Pedro Lemebel’s My Tender Matador (old but new to me). Davey Davis’ Casanova 20: or, Hot World was also great. I also appreciated the structural swing of Jamie Hood’s Trauma Plot.

    Hope your jet lag goes quick! x

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