What's on Ellie Lynch's Bedside Table?

Men are from Mars, Lives of the Saints, and more

In another installment of our beloved bedside table series, Ellie Lynch takes you on a tour of her nightstand. Read more below. And don’t forget to subscribe to the Mars Review to read our paywalled content on the true story of COVID, Silicon Valley porn addicts, George Bataille, Eliezer Yudkowsky, and everything else that an intelligent reader should know about.

Ellie Lynch is a Georgia-born writer, publicist, and former Mars Review intern living in New York City. She has begun to make quite a name for herself in the world of downtown arts and letters—probably because of her rare combination of intelligence and social grace. Check out her picks below, and if you have something that needs publicizing, reach out to her on twitter/X.com at @i_guess_ellie

Lives of the Saints, Nancy Lemann

Less than 150 pages so you have no excuse. Her writing is unlike anyone else’s. Effortless and charming. 

Incarnation, Edited by Alfred Corn

Adrenaline rush of a collection for those who grew up evangelical, or anyone interested in early church history.

Of Water and the Spirit, Malidoma Patrice Some

A first person account of a boy completing the initiation process to become a shaman in Burkina Faso. Think they resurrect a body at one point. Now THIS is autofiction.

Men are From Mars, Women are from Venus, John Gray, PHD

Terribly interesting. I’m highly susceptible to any advice, especially from men with Ph.D’s. I recommend Chapter 10: Scoring Points with the Opposite Sex. It’s really just math at the end of the day. (Though a bit of a faux-pas to actually keep on your bedside table. I recommend stashing in a desk or hiding behind more impressive looking books.)

Edie, Jean Stein

Also for the girls.

Tales of Beatnik Glory, Ed Sanders

This is what I’m going to read next. I keep saying it but this time I really mean it.

Two Girls, Fat and Thin, Mary Gaitskill

This one’s really for the girls.

Elbowing the Seducer, T. Gertler

Back when the publishing industry had real sex appeal. I need to talk to T. Gertler immediately if anyone has any leads.