Shawn Stucky, visual artist, is thinking about rereading:

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The book is composed of a bunch of short stories, which for me makes for an easier read since I tend to get distracted easily. I enjoyed the crude and minimalist writing style of his stories. I was curious to analyze his approach to human existence as being gritty, lonely, and destructive. I also enjoyed the content of the stories, which are full of drinking, sex, cursing, and gambling. The best part is I can see myself in some of these situations. Overall, the book is very explicit, and it’s not for the faint of heart. I didn’t feel guilty drinking a few bottles of wine while reading it.

Benedetto Casanova: The Memoirs by Marten Weber

Sally Schwartz, founder of the Randolph Street Market Festival, read:

For those who remember the 1997 Jodie Foster/Robert Zemeckis [film], forget that now. Yes, Contact the novel describes a universe in which the rational and emotional are different sides of the same coin—or in this case, picture a three- or four-sided coin. But where the movie floundered at its most critical moment, the book brushes off its shoulders and climbs onward to the peak of transcendence. No matter if your tent is pitched in camp atheist or believer, Contact will leave you with a freshly polished sense of wonder and a complicated, dreamlike yearning for infinity.