The Hard Crowd (Jonathan Cape, £18.99; Tablet price £17.09) by Rachel Kushner is a compelling collection of autobiographical writings. Many of these revised pieces will be familiar to Kushner devotees, yet the selection finds its own rhythm and coherence. Full of throttle and gasoline, this is America drenched in romanticism: motorcycles, poets, artists and noise. Travelling through philosophy and politics via whimsy and wit, The Hard Crowd is a portal into the lived experience of one of America’s finest contemporary writers.