Reviewed by Clea Dobrish In The Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado- a raw, honest, and innovatively told memoir that paints a new picture of abuse. Machado has recently made herself known in the literary world with her short story collection titled Her Body and Other Parties. Using fairy tales to depict the stories of… Continue reading In The Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado
Reviewed by David Salner William Heath’s distinguished writing career includes scholarly books plus crime and historical novels. With these two new chapterbooks Heath shows us what he can do as a poet, from sunlit imagery to heartfelt lament. The reader would expect a mastery of setting in a volume titled Leaving Seville. But Heath’s lines… Continue reading Sunlit Imagery, Heartfelt Lament: Two Chapbooks by William Heath
Summary via Amazon At 28, Stephanie Land's plans of breaking free from the roots of her hometown in the Pacific Northwest to chase her dreams of attending a university and becoming a writer were cut short when a summer fling turned into an unexpected pregnancy. She turned to housekeeping to make ends meet, and with… Continue reading Maid by Stephanie Land
Reviewed by Cheyenne Marco University of South Dakota Let’s get one thing out of the way: I am not a birder. But one doesn’t have to be to enjoy Larkin Powell’s Great Plains Birds. Written for a general audience, Powell’s work moves beyond the litany of lists and maps of a standard guidebook and expresses… Continue reading Great Plains Birds by Larkin Powell
Reviewed by John C. Krieg Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard by Douglas W. Tallamy is a work that is indeed full of hope. We of the species Homo sapiens have failed abysmally in our efforts to preserve nature and are now in the position where we will… Continue reading Nature’s Best Hope by Douglas W. Tallamy
Reviewed by Nadia Benjelloun Bombs, beards, and belly-dancing. Rather than just a fun alliteration to say, this phrase would summarize what would come to mind upon hearing the word Arab. This is the epitome of orientalism. It’s all due to narrative, but just as there are misconstrued Arab and Muslim representations from sources that range… Continue reading Adrift on the Nile by Naguib Mahfouz
We all have idols. Five’s idol was Gary Numan, and it was his destiny to become the world's leading tribute act. His band, 'The Romford Bombers,' became an instant sensation in Essex. On top of the world, Five had no idea things were about to turn savage when a new group, ‘The Storm Troopers’ fronted… Continue reading Numan Versus Numan: A Dark Comedy by Nicky Blue
Reviewed by Candice Louisa Daquin Poetry has reclaimed its prior popularity with the easy access of the internet; anonymous and known poets can write on any subject in any style and find an audience and succor. There are those who do it for a career, those who write because they must and if they sell… Continue reading Pantheon by Eric Syrdal
Reviewed by Sascha Harris The novel, Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga, documents the life of Jude, a Syrian refugee that moves to Cincinnati, Ohio at the start of the Syrian War, leaving all that she knows behind. As Jude slowly adjusts to her new home, her surroundings and American culture as a whole,… Continue reading Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
Reviewed by Karisma J. Tobin Samanta Schweblin’s Fever Dream tells the haunting story of a mother’s experience of an unfamiliar town. Vacationing with her young daughter, Nina, Amanda finds herself unsettled. It soon becomes clear that there is something strange about this place. It’s the worms. You have to be patient and wait. And… Continue reading Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin
