THE BELIEVER FALL ISSUE 2015
After a half decade away The Believer has returned home to McSweeney’s. To celebrate the momentous occasion, we’ve dug through our archives and found an extremely limited number of classic and timeless issues for your purchasing pleasure. Once these are gone, they’re gone forever.
In The Believer’s fall issue, Pablo Calvi reports on an oil pipeline that threatens indigenous populations in Ecuador, Alex Mar has afternoon tea with the Church of Satan’s high priest, Daniel Werb discusses harm-reduction programs in Tijuana’s red-light district, and Esmé Weijun Wang explores living with schizophrenia. Other essays focus on a copper-mining pit in Montana, the irresistibly gothic family whose middle son is the inspiration behind Bolaño’s mad-genius poet in 2666, and the anarchist who’s quietly fanning the flames of our country’s insurrectionary movements. There are poems by Kay Ryan and Kathleen Ossip, in-depth interviews with Megan Rapinoe, Michael Schur, Jerry Stahl, Sheila Nevins, Ronald Cotton, and Miranda July, and a special section on the theme of silence with work by Diane Cook, Sara Novic, Stephen Burt, Rachel Z. Arndt, Matthew Zapruder, and JW McCormack. The winners of the eleventh annual Believer Book Award and the fifth annual Believer Poetry Award are announced.
Table of Contents:
El Desencanto by Aaron Shulman
The irresistible disenchantments of the Panero family, introduced by the best Spanish cult documentary you’ve never heard of.
The Eleventh Annual Believer Book Award
Toward a Pathology of the Possessed by Esmé Weijun Wang
Schizophrenia’s effects are often discussed in metaphors. What is it like to live with those metaphors?
How To Field-Dress a Deer by Roger D. Hodge
An installment in our series of essential advice.
What the Swedes Read by Daniel Handler
What’s Left Behind by Kea Krause
A flooded copper mine outside Butte, Montana, is the largest contaminated body of water in the country. And it contains a slime that could save the mine, the town, and maybe even the world.
Miranda July interviewed by Ross Simonini
The writer, artist, musician, and filmmaker discusses her life and work by telephone, battling a poor connection.
Schema: Great Moments on the Loo by Sylvia Christie
A compendium of important literary moments spent on the toilet, accompanied by a very rude illustration.
The Process: Jules Feiffer by Alex Dueben
The cartoonist discusses creating his noir graphic novel Kill My Mother.
Anarchy in the USA by Zander Sherman
Four years after Occupy Wall Street, meet John Zerzan, the man who’s been quietly fanning the flames of the country’s most important insurrectionary movements.
Megan Rapinoe interviewed by Kevin Koczwara
The US women’s soccer team star on growing up playing with her twin, the world of women’s soccer, and the changing landscape for gay athletes.
“Sock”: a new poem by Kay Ryan
The Fifth Annual Believer Poetry Award
Satan in Poughkeepsie by Alex Mar
Anton LaVey exposed the show business of religion when he founded the Church of Satan. Half a century later, its high priest holds afternoon tea in suburban New York.
“On Giving Birth”: a new poem by Kathleen Ossip
Secret Reserves by Pablo Calvi
In a land as exceptional for its fragile and fiercely guarded biodiversity as for its dwindling population of guardians, the indigenous Sápara are first in line for a new form of extinction. And they are staking the only thing they have left against it—their afterlife.
Epidemic in the Borderland by Dan Werb
Dr. Thomas Patterson is pioneering HIV prevention in Tijuana’s most dangerous districts, and the results are staggering.
“Fatal Flaw”: a new poem by Kay Ryan
Symposium: A discussion on (mostly) books as they relate to the theme of silence.
Rachel Z. Arndt on Dockwood; Sara Nović on Stephen King’s Nick Andros; Stephen Burt on Black Bolt; Matthew Zapruder on The History of Silence; Diane Cook on The World Beyond Your Head; and JW McCormack on ghost characters.
Michael Schur interviewed by Stephanie Palumbo
The sitcom writer, director, and producer tells her, “The system of network TV is creaking under its own weight right now.”
Ronald Cotton interviewed by Alexandra Molotkow
The forensic reform advocate spent nearly eleven years behind bars for a crime he didn’t commit; now he speaks about the conviction, forgiveness, and closure.
Jerry Stahl interviewed by Sabra Embury
A discussion about subcultures, fanatics, drug problems, and being a dad, held over the course of several humorous emails.
Stuff I’ve Been Reading by Nick Hornby
The popular column returns.
HBO’s “de Medici” of television has won more prime-time Emmys than any other individual.