Editor's Picks (May 8, 2024)

The Whitney Review of New Writing Issue 003
Edited by Whitney Mallett
Featuring reviews, interviews, and essays from Mary Gaitskill, Pamela Sneed, Dennis Cooper, and many more

In celebration of The Whitney Review of Books Issue 003, which premieres exclusively on Metalabel this week, we invited Anika Jade Levy, editor of another influential NYC literary mag, Forever Magazine, to share her thoughts on the contents and meaning of The Whitney Review:

When The Whitney Review of New Writing debuted in 2023, it was an instant cult classic. The name of the publication is half-provocation, half-coincidence. No, it’s not a literary journal from the Museum of American Art; it’s the brainchild of writer and Pin-Up alum Whitney Mallet. The inaugural issue included dozens of short reviews and a handful of interviews. In Issue 3, Whitney casts a wider gaze. The editor’s note reads simply, “This issue is about surface, friction, inheritance, and debts.” The usual suspects are all here: Dirt founder Daisy Aliato skewers the new Rachel Cusk, Samuel Rutter considers The Queen’s Ball, a recent release from Inpatient Press, Molly Soda writes about the latest novella from Daniel Hahn, and Johanna Fatemman reviews Goodnight Sweet Thing, Christine Brache’s new poetry collection which debuted on this very platform. But there are also a number of surprise appearances: for one thing, the Review delves into serious, high-stakes political writing — Hidden in My Ear: Poems from Gaza gets a review, as well as The New York War Crimes, a new publication devoted to chronicling the NYT’s ongoing complicity in Israel’s occupation of Gaza. Crucially, this new issue wades into the polarizing waters of geo-political conflict without sacrificing its playful edge. In addition to transmissions from warzones, you will also find a retrospective review of Preliminary Materials for A Theory of The Young Girl (2012) written in the same unhinged, algorithmic voice as the book itself, as well as a review of Arctic Vibe, Frozen Berry, the latest Celsius flavor (published of course, by PepsiCo). In this way, Whitney highlights the political importance of criticism without losing the magic that made it special to begin with: a specific point-of-view, a way of seeing the world, a way of reading. The Whitney Review of New Writing is important not in spite of the fact that it isn’t coming out of an art institution, but because of that fact. Issue 3 proves that new institutions are not just possible, but vital and necessary. 

— Anika Jade Levy

Pick up Issue 003 of The Whitney Review of New Writing on Metalabel.

Featured catalogue

The Whitney Review of New Writing
Issues 001, 002, 003

Along with the debut of Issue 003 of The Whitney Review of New Writing, today brings the arrival of the entire back catalogue of issues. These include a bundle of the first three issues (only a few copies of 001 remain); copies of Issue 002; and copies of Issue 003 for both US-based collectors and international collectors.

We’re thrilled to welcome such a vital catalogue of work to Metalabel. Explore The Whitney Review of New Writing.

We’re exploring

This week three Metalabel releases arrived in our mailbox. Quick reactions to each:

FKMM, Trying to Remember Not to Forget. Photobook. Direct from Japan. Small footprint. Packaged perfectly. Pages tactile and rich.

Shantell Martin, Bad Ideas. Vinyl and art print, each well-made. Music chill and unique. The art print is big — 18 x 24 — and hand-numbered and signed by Shantell.

Hardcore Ambient, Mastering My Environment. Great packaging. Zine folded into the cassette case. Stickers. Handwritten thank you note. The cassette a rich blue. We listened on a Walkman. Ambient, floating, alive.

On Rotation

A few recent releases in the Metalabel catalogue that still have us hooked:

• Paul Waters and Jamie Kim, Twins. Beautiful work, touching story, the love comes through.
• Rebecca Clark, Book of Hours. Honest. From the heart. Continues to gather new collectors each day.
• Cristine Brache, Goodnight Sweet Thing. The two sold out performances of this poetry book are this weekend. Will report on what we experience.