New Uses for Failure: Ben Lerner’s 10:04

Literary Nonfiction. A brave new mode of literature has been emerging in the work of Sheila Heti, Karl Ove Knausgaard, and others. Call it what you will; Adam Colman calls it essayistic fiction. In this sharp, playful book, Colman dives deep into Ben Lerner’s 10:04 to create a ＂how to＂ manual for anyone who wants to write, or simply understand, essayistic fiction. A manifesto, a critical analysis, and a winking work of satire, NEW USES FOR FAILURE marks the arrival of a sparkling new genre. This is part of Fiction Advocate’s Afterwords series.