Crudo: A Novel

"I love Laing’s nonfiction, so was very excited to read this new experimental novel which took the book world by storm. Written in a flurry over the summer of 2017, it’s told in real time, and conflates Laing’s real life persona with that of the cult literary figure Kathy Acker. I spoke to Laing about the book – and the genre of ‘autofiction’ more generally – for Five Books in October, and found her a thoughtful, erudite and inspiring interview subject. I also particularly enjoyed one of her recommendations, Michelle Tea’s Black Wave . I read this 1980 play as research for an essay I wrote on the Gaelic language earlier this year , and it has stuck in my head ever since. British soldiers arrive in 19th-century Ireland charged with ‘standardising’ (anglicising) Gaelic place names – and, in fact, bastardise them. Illustrates well the complexities of human relationships under colonialism and the insidious impact of cultural imperialism."