
how to disappear and why, a new book of essays, will be published by sarabande books on may 28, 2024.
it will be my first book since praying drunk, in 2014. it is about the ways people disappear, their reasons for disappearing, and the lives into which they disappear. In eight unconventional essays, it considers Uber driving, artistic and religious ecstasy, ghosts and grief, around-the-world yacht racing, class mobility and conformity, post-Soviet and post-Holocaust exile, narcissism, synesthesia, and the junk temples and secret doors that can derail or enrich our lives.
most of the essays are new, although one, “the uber diaries,” first appeared in new ohio review, and another incorporates a portion of an essay I wrote for the new york times book review. the essay titles, if you’re interested:
∙ how to disappear and why ∙
∙ a theory of ghosts ∙
∙ the uber diaries ∙
∙ on the desire to reject narcissism ∙
∙ the lizard, the stink, the bear, the game, the road to somewhere ∙
∙ hiding in plain sight ∙
∙ junk temples ∙
∙ the sickness and the song ∙
scott county, indiana








fire prayers at hiroshima












fireworks in missouri



objects, shadows, abstractions










the vogue


faces in indianapolis







bicycles in hiroshima


the orchestra

ghosts wearing clothes in a tunnel a mile from hell

older books in print
- praying drunk, winner of the 2015 story prize spotlight award
- italian edition of praying drunk (mentre cado, ricordati di me, translated by susanna bourlot, 2016)
- in the devil’s territory (2008)
bio

kyle minor is the author of praying drunk, winner of the 2015 story prize spotlight award. recent stories, essays, interviews, and reviews appear online and in print in best american mystery stories, best american nonrequired reading, esquire, the atlantic, salon, iowa review, missouri review, story magazine, and the new york times book review.
selected post-praying drunk work in print
- “a kidnapping in koulev-ville,” a short story, in the normal school, reprinted in best american mystery stories, and streamed through the new york public library subway stories series
- “the uber diaries,” an essay, in new ohio review
- “the secret to happiness,” a novella, in missouri review
- “notes on harm reduction,” an essay, in make magazine chicago
- “night at the fiestas,” a review of kirstin valdez quade’s terrific story collection, in the new york times book review
- “soldier,” a novella co-written with james yoder, forthcoming in booth
- “mild blue dream,” a story, forthcoming in gulf coast
- “suspended,” a reprinted story, forthcoming in best of brevity
- additional stories, essays, poems, and miscellany in bennington review, outlook springs, hobart, relief journal, ocean state review, saw palm, arkansas international, acm: another chicago magazine, the believer logger, and tin house online
some recent preoccupations
lynsey addario, it’s what i do: a photographer’s life of love and war.
bong joon ho, parasite.
denis johnson, angels.
ryszard kapuscinski, another day of life
konagada, vimeo video essays.
olivia laing, the lonely city
yiyun li, what has that to do with me.
peter morgan, the crown.
murch and ondaatje, the conversations
katherine anne porter, pale horse, pale rider.
dee rees, the last thing he wanted.
josh and benny safdie, daddy longlegs, goldman v silverman, good time, heaven knows what, and uncut gems.
fifty favorite jazz albums
- ole, john coltrane
- black saint and the sinner lady, charles mingus
- brilliant corners, thelonius monk
- sketches of spain, miles davis
- the shape of jazz to come, ornette coleman
- bitches brew, miles davis
- time for tyner, mccoy tyner
- song for my father, horace silver
- kelan philip cohran & the hypnotic brass ensemble
- blues and the abstract truth, oliver nelson
- thelonious monk, thelonious monk trio
- cubana be, cubana bop (compilation), dizzy gillespie
- gulag orkestar, beirut
- time out, dave brubeck quartet
- somethin’ else, cannonball adderley
- moanin’, art blakey and the jazz messengers
- kind of blue, miles davis
- out to lunch, eric dolphy
- pastel blues, nina simone
- head hunters, herbie hancock
- mingus mingus mingus mingus mingus, charles mingus
- sahara, mccoy tyner
- mingus ah-um, charles mingus
- back at the chicken shack, jimmy smith
- monk’s dream, thelonius monk
- electric bath, don ellis orchestra
- ascenseur pour l’echafaud, miles davis
- the clown, charles mingus
- pithecanthropus erectus, charles mingus
- root down, jimmy smith
- the sidewinder, lee morgan
- blue train, john coltrane
- a love supreme, john coltrane
- in pursuit of the 27th man, horace silver
- the real mccoy, mccoy tyner
- live-evil, miles davis
- jack johnson, miles davis
- unit structures, cecil taylor
- big band bossa nova, quincy jones
- oh yeah, charles mingus
- underground, thelonious monk
- money jungle, ellington mingus & roach
- blow-up soundtrack, herbie hancock
- saxophone colossus, sonny rollins
- illumination!, elvin jones
- self-titled, clifford brown and max roach
- study in brown, clifford brown
- the sermon, jimmy smith
- afro-cuban, kenny dorham
- jazz advance, cecil taylor
*updated monthly
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