A lot could have gone wrong in the making of Rachel Kushner's second novel, The Flamethrowers. The author packs so many potent, disparate elements in between the covers that it is a testament to her mechanic-like storytelling ability to strap such a fast, graceful motor on so much sleek metal.

When the time came to critically dissect Modern Vampires of the City, Vampire Weekend's latest musical offering, Interview immediately requested the efforts of Baio's real life friend and West Coast correspondent, Parks and Recreation star Nick Offerman.

Here's our compendium of pop-culture news you may have missed while you were doing more important things over the weekend.

Chef and television host Justin Warner endearingly refers to Do or Dine, his almost two-year-old Brooklyn eatery, as his baby restaurant.

British novelist Abigail Tarttelin's Golden Boy (Atria Books) highlights the intense personal and societal struggles of an intersex 16-year-old named Max. Tarttelin's effort as a 25-year-old woman to get inside the head of her protagonist, a transgender teenager, makes Golden Boy a riveting, evocative read.