Venita Blackburn’s First Novel Runs on Denial

The latest in pop-culture news, recaps, and reviews, plus close reads, profiles, interviews, and more from Vulture.com. [Brand Logo]( encounter [Venita Blackburn’s First Novel Runs on Denial]( With Dead in Long Beach, California, she takes on the kind of grief that can lead to deception. Photo: Nicholas Albrecht In 2008, Venita Blackburn’s mother died unexpectedly — and at first, one of Blackburn’s brothers refused to tell his daughter, for whom their mother had been an important maternal figure. Whenever anyone suggested he break the news, he would deflect and evade. His way of handling the death shattered his sister. But it also fascinated her. “I know why he did it: You don’t want them to feel what you feel right now,” she says. “And if you can keep it from them, you can keep it from yourself.” For Blackburn, loss is a pet subject. She’s a writer with a penchant for the sort of tales that kill the mood at a dinner party, edged with wit and pared down to the bones — her primary form is flash fiction, or very short prose works, usually under 1,000 words. Something of a cult figure in the flash-fiction community, Blackburn writes stories that orbit the themes of youth and friendship, family and duty, sex and care, faith and memory, and that are often set in Southern California dreamlands. [read more]( Devour pop culture with us. [Subscribe now]( to save over 60% on unlimited access to Vulture and everything New York. The Latest TV Recaps • Below Deck: Mediterranean: [Hanging by a Thread]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( Stories We Think You’ll Like [The Traitors Needs Normies With mere mortals banished from season two, the game loses out on a grand possibility.]( By Nicholas Quah [Oppenheimer Has Engulfed Awards Season Christopher Nolan’s epic starts to pull away from the rest of the pack, earning eight wins at Sunday’s Critics Choice Awards.]( By Joe Reid [Jay-Z Is Lost in the Shuffle on ‘I Want You Forever’ His new song with D’Angelo feels like a 10-minute sound bath.]( By Craig Jenkins [Every Star Wars Movie That Allegedly Is or Isn’t Happening Rebellions are built on hope — and years of development hell.]( By James Grebey [Taylor Swift Did Not Write the Argylle Book, So Why Do Swifties Think She Did? Some of the evidence is actually compelling.]( By Fran Hoepfner [Dua Lipa Goes-Girl and Gives Us a Response to Her Memes Not a peep on about being called Dula Peep, though.]( By Jason P. Frank [Sandman Is Spaceman Adam Sandler undergoes alien therapy for his upcoming Netflix film.]( By Zoe Guy [All the Girlies Are Going to the 2024 Grammys Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, and Dua Lipa are performing.]( By Justin Curto [The Critics Have Spoken, and Oppenheimer Is the Name on Their Lips Critics Choice Awards mark a tide shift in in the MFL.]( By Vulture Editors [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [Today’s Crossword]( 13-Across, Three Letters: Upcoming Hadestown actress DiFranco. Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Getty Images, Everett Collection A newsletter of TV and movie recommendations. [Sign up]( to get it every week. [Get the Newsletter]( [logo]( [facebook logo]( [instagram logo]( [twitter logo]( [unsubscribe]( | [privacy notice]( | [update preferences]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Was this email forwarded to you? [Sign up now]( to get this newsletter in your inbox. [View this email in your browser.]( You received this email because you have a subscription to New York. Reach the right online audience with us For advertising information on email newsletters, please contact AdOps@nymag.com Vox Media, LLC 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, 12th Floor Washington, DC 20036 Copyright © 2024, All rights reserved