‘Funny Weather’ Asks What Art Can Do In A Crisis

Olivia Laing, author of Funny Weather, at the Barbican in London in February.

At her best, Olivia Laing turns criticism into an elevated form of hospitality: Like a good party host, she introduces you to someone, tells you what she likes about them, then leaves you to it.

(Image credit: Sophie Davidson/W. W. Norton & Company)

At her best, Olivia Laing turns criticism into an elevated form of hospitality: Like a good party host, she introduces you to someone, tells you what she likes about them, then leaves you to it.