Connecting Thread: From Revolution to Secrecy (2 of 5)

2021-12-27T14:57:43-05:00

Picking up yesterday's thread, the balance in Seçkin’s novel sways toward the personal, whereas the political scene in Alaa Al-Aswany’s The Republic of False Truths (2021) is more prominent, despite all the attention paid to characterization—a network that grows increasingly complex as readers turn the pages. (And there’s at

Connecting Thread: From Revolution to Secrecy (2 of 5)2021-12-27T14:57:43-05:00

Quarterly Stories: Winter 2021

2021-12-27T11:58:03-05:00

This has been a rich year for short stories. Some collections I’ve enjoyed without making notes, like Venita Blackburn’s How to Wrestle a Girl (2021); her stories are vivid and will appeal to readers who prioritize voice, as well as readers who admire a certain playfulness that’s delicately balanced

Quarterly Stories: Winter 20212021-12-27T11:58:03-05:00

Earth Changes, Habit Changes (4 of 4)

2021-12-27T10:00:40-05:00

The more that I read now about the climate emergency, the more references I find within my other reading. Here, in Deirdre McNamer’s Aviary (2021), an unexpectedly lyrical rumination: “She prayed for the groaning, hectically gorgeous, steaming world, which seemed, more and more often, to lurch and shudder on

Earth Changes, Habit Changes (4 of 4)2021-12-27T10:00:40-05:00

Slavery: Past and Present #280898 Reasons (4 of 4)

2021-12-08T20:24:09-05:00

The more time I’ve spent reading about slavery this year, the more often I’ve discovered references to it in unexpected places. (Looking to catch up? Here are all the links to the previous posts this year.) For instance, in Fred D’Aguiar’s memoir Year of Plagues (2021): “When I think

Slavery: Past and Present #280898 Reasons (4 of 4)2021-12-08T20:24:09-05:00

Slavery: Past and Present #280898 Reasons (3.5 of 4)

2021-09-27T18:30:22-04:00

Even though I’d originally planned to write four posts about slavery this year (here are the first, second, and third), I’ve found an abundance of reading selections, so I’m sneaking in a half-step for this project. For many readers, the contemporary author who comes to mind first, on the

Slavery: Past and Present #280898 Reasons (3.5 of 4)2021-09-27T18:30:22-04:00
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