Drawn from twenty years of her career, Like Love is a collection of essays and conversations by Maggie Nelson, the author of iconic books, including Bluets (Wave Books, 2009) and The Argonauts (Graywolf Press, 2015). The profiles, reviews, tributes, critical essays, and conversations with artists are arranged chronologically and range from subjects, such as Björk, Lhasa de Sela, Fred Moten, Alice Notley, Prince, and Kara Walker. Nelson’s insights and development as a writer shine through as she tackles themes of intergenerational exchange, love and friendship, feminist and queer issues, the roles of the critic and of language, and the rewards and trials of creating art. “Language doesn’t always make me happy. But sometimes, you must explain,” writes Nelson in the preface. “And not just because someone asked, or because we live in a culture of explanation, but because one wants to. Needs to. The language rises up, an upchuck. Words aren’t just what’s left; they’re what we have to offer.”
