The Truth About Sex, Love, & Literature

Mars Review of Books Swimsuit Edition, Magdalene Taylor's Bedside Table, Donate or Advertise

In this letter:

• We flooded the jacuzzi suite: Mars Review Swimsuit Edition Preview (paywalled) (with

  Cassidy Angel Grady
  , Keeley Stuff, and Olivia Hicolau)

• What’s on Magdalene Taylor’s Bedside Table

• Issue 5 coming very soon. Advertise or Donate

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It was an old joke about Playboy Magazine: “I only read it for the articles.” But the funny thing is, there were some damn good articles in there.

Fitzgerald, Nabokov, and Salinger published their short stories in the magazine. Dylan was interviewed there in ‘66 about his shift to rock ‘n’ roll.

Why was there this magazine that combined great essays and literature with these photographs that could induce a coronary event? Was there some real connection between these two pieces of content? I thought I’d put together the first ever Mars Review of Books swimsuit edition to find out. Click the blurry image below to unlock a little preview (paid subscribers only) from our New York shoot with

Cassidy Angel Grady

, Keeley Stuff, and Olivia Hicolau.

Everyone got some good reading done in between trips to the jacuzzi

One connection between literature and eros is that they are inefficient in a way that our society no longer approves of. To be erotically ensnared is, potentially, to lose your mind or your livelihood. To read or write literature is to practice an arcane ritual that only serves to remove you from efficient markets. Neither of these practices helps you save up for your 401(k).

Another thing eros and literature have in common is that of late they’ve both been terribly cheapened and instrumentalized. Could we find our way back to a world where these concepts—of literature and eros—mean something again? It’s worth giving it a try at least. And with the death of Sports Illustrated, we felt it was incumbent on us to pick up where they left off. The Mars Review Swimsuit Edition plus all behind-the-scenes supplementary material will be available to all paid subscribers.

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If you haven’t heard of

Magdalene J. Taylor

, you’re missing out. Magdalene is an essayists, equal parts astute and engaging, who wrote about a Silicon Valley sex addict for the Mars Review and has pieces published in the Times, on her Substack, and elsewhere.

Find out what she’s got on her bedside table. Much better than an algorithm for deciding what books to read.

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We’ve had some very happy advertisers in the past, ranging from Tlon Corporation (software) to Expat Press (book publishing) to Sovereign Capital (finance). Time is running out to place an ad in the upcoming issue of the MRB. Find out our rates and how to get in touch in our media kit here.

Thanks for reading. Shoot me an email if you have any questions.

Very best,

Noah Kumin

Editor in Chief

Mars Review of Books