Granta 176: American Berserk

by Thomas Meaney (Editor)

America was a country dreamed up by religious fanatics and realized through violence. Philip Roth gave a name for this 'blessed rage for purity': the 'indigenous American Berserk.'
On the country’s 250th anniversary, the American Berserk is alive and well. The writers for Granta 176 did not need instruction about where to find it.
With new fiction by Mary Gaitskill, John Jeremiah Sullivan, Amie Barrodale, Halle Hill, Rebecca Curtis, Kathryn Scanlan and Hansen Shi. 
In non-fiction, William T. Vollmann takes to the streets of Havana, Antonia Hitchens offers a portrait of the court culture in Washington, D.C., Tao Lin picks up a hitchhiking astrologist. 
Photography by Nikita Teryoshin (introduced by Seth Harp) and Zora J Murff (introduced by Ciarán Finlayson). 
Poetry by Frederick Seidel, Patricia Lockwood, Osdany Morales, Maggie Millner, Michael Robbins.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories

256 pages, Paperback

Published September 22, 2026

Reviews

[James · Rating 1 out of 5]

Décevant. J’aimais bien l’article qui parle de Hawaii, mais les autres étaitent un peu ennuyeux. La fiction ne m’a pas impressionnée sauf pour « The Acute Wing » qui était pas trop mal, et la poésie était juste terrible. J’espère que le prochain numéro sera mieux.

Et une référence à Pickle Rick en 2026? C’est pas possible. Si vous voulez être pertinent, utilisez 6-7 au moins (et apprenez l’orthographe correcte de « femboy »)!

[Joanne Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so disappointed when this Granta showed up (I have a subscription but hadn’t even looked to see what was coming next). Trump had just declared MORE tariffs and spent many hours posting weirdo AI videos about him beating up Canada. I live and breathe American Beserk; my rage grows daily. So the thought of giving over any more of my brain to the US was irritating. But then I was riveted. Actually enjoyed this Granta more than any others for a while. The glimpse inside the military conferences - terrifying but so banal (because patriarchy and capitalism). Halle Hill’s Year of the Rat offers a sliver of a sad life - but oh it’s so easy to see this character (misguided, uninformed, alone) being filled from the ugliness of the internet. Arc de Trump dishes some TEA on MAGA and the republicans and just how very nasty the fascist regime is (and oh so shallow and soulless and man I hope Karma really exists).

[Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A mixed bag of outstanding, great writing and unreadable garbage. They really need to stop with the poetry, it’s a waste of paper.

[Chris]

A great introduction. If we don’t survive this disaster, this volume will, to tell the tale. Antonia Hitchens, John Jeremiah Sullivan, Tao Lin, and William T. Vollmann were the prose highlights for me. Micheal Robbins, Osdany Morales (Harry Bauld, translating), and Frederick Seidel in poetry, Nikita Teryoshin’s photography with Seth Harp’s intro.
“What is the American Berserk?…
The American Berserk is characterized by world-historical excess. It is the mood of a country convinced of its chosenness, but drenched in self-pity about that chosenness not working out.”

[Ray Quirolgico · Rating 3 out of 5]

A complicated and sometimes messy collection of text and images that does not seem to fully realize the theme, as described in the introduction. The tragicomedy of American identity never comes through with powerful conviction or sharp ironic humor. The chapters in this issue feel too superficial - maybe the contributors tread too lightly, which (I suppose) says something about our “berserk” time anyway.

[Sean Daley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of it a bit scattered and not really on theme but there were a few standouts. Teryoshin's photography of military weapons conventions was spectacular, so was the essay on Cuba. In particular the story about the downward spiral of a vc in the sf techbro space was especially cathartic.

[MN · Rating 2 out of 5]

Worth reading for the non-fiction

[David Shepherd · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good issue. Stand outs for me were John Jeremiah Sullivan's The Acute Wing and Hansen Shi's Blood Boy, but all of the long form writing was enjoyable.

[Paul Dembina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very disappointing, especially the fiction

[Victoria & David Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well that wasn't very successful. With any other magazine I would assume that they were purposefully vergin' on self parody. But this is Granta. Immaculate self deception?

[Douglas Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Acute Wing by John Jeremiah Sullivan is the best story in this issue, made me want to investigate his books

[Gerard de Bruin · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

Een vande meest deprimerende edities ooit.