Out There in the Dark

by Katharine Coldiron

Katharine Coldiron sees her life through a film projector. She watches The Sound of Music and observes that time is peculiarly preserved in a narrative film; she watches Singin' in the Rain and finds truth and falsehood layered in it like dental veneers; she watches Apocalypse Now and thinks about her father, and a certain Pulitzer-winning photograph of an American POW.

Out There in the Dark is a dynamic collection of essays that blends film criticism with memoir and fiction, as well as lists, visual diagrams, and Wikipedia collaging. It plumbs deeply some of our most knotted, abstract concepts: truth, kindness, the West, the female body, war, and—inevitably—Hollywood.

160 pages, Paperback

Published June 17, 2025

Reviews

[Danny Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out There in the Dark is incredible. A collection of razor sharp, intelligent, funny braid essays about classic cinema and the usual CNF suspects-family, life, sex, the body, money. But there's nothing stale or old hat here. Coldiron leans into experimentation, finds through-lines where others do not see any, and, (especially important to me) can write like hell. The prose here is so smart without ever being pretentious or overbearing. Coldiron's voice soars. Even at its most vulnerable, it is resolute, the voice of a badass.

I admit I went into this one a little nervous. I've been a fan of Coldiron's for a while and I think she talks about film brilliantly, but I'm pretty green when it comes to classic movies. I have seen approximately 2 of the movies discussed here. And yet, nothing is out of context. Besides side-Googling (which I WANT from my CNF), I never felt like I wasn't getting the points Coldiron was making, even if I've never seen The Misfits or Mildred Pierce. On the contrary, these essays stoked in me a desire to watch all of these with my newly shaped understanding of them.

This book is doing pretty much everything I expect and want CNF to do. It makes me think, makes me research on my own. I'm able to make connections to my life and empathize with aspects that I can't. The writing is not preachy, Coldiron does not hold your hand, but rather extends her own for the reader to reach toward. While reading these essays, I contemplated on my own writing and creation of art. On my own experiences with film and how those experiences mesh with my life. Perhaps most of all, Out There in the Dark is a book that makes me want to write. It's inspiring to see such an incredible writer taking big swings here, whether in approach to the topic or literal formatting.

I can't wait for the next one.

[Jason Arias · Rating 5 out of 5]

An impressive collection. Further proof Coldiron has mastered the art of the braided essay.

[Ilana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved everything about this book: Kat's writing style, the way she wove together the various essays, and how while every essay feels utterly complete, none of them spoonfeed the reader, allowing you to take what you will from the subjects braided together.