by Amanda Huynh Philip Metres’ poetry book, Sand Opera, is the Winner of the 2013 Beatrice Hawley Award; a bold and unforgettable collection that vividly explores the perils of war and the rippling effects it has on our culture. The collection can be viewed as an extension of his previous 2011 chapbook, Abu Ghraid Arias, …
by Kevin Norris A while back, I wrote a blog titled, “Graphic Novels in the Classroom.” The idea of teaching a Graphic Novel sounded intriguing. Of course students would love them. They are, I assumed, full of stimulating graphic and engaging text. I mean, what does a teacher want? He or she wants his or …
by Tyler Beckett Melissa Harrison’s At Hawthorn Time is only the author’s second novel but is an outstanding work for its deep engagement with the residents and natural world that make up her fictional village Lodeshill. Harrison draws on a small cast of narrators to witness how a changing world affects even remote British towns, …
by Emily Howell When I heard Carly Simon was writing her memoir I was skeptical, but curious—I’m not usually a fan of memoirs written by pop culture icons, so when I opened Boys in the Trees my expectations were low but I decided to give it a chance nonetheless. The book, which is split into …
by Maggie Libby Davis “In the end, though, every word we write is autobiographical, perhaps most especially when we attempt to avoid the autobiographical.” –Colum McCann Colum McCann suggests that his newest short story collection Thirteen Ways of Looking, published in November 2015, has autobiographical components. This leads me to suspect that the voices in …
by Tyler Beckett George Saunders’ Tenth of December is as close to a sure pick as you can get. There isn’t even really a question here; no one is going to pick up the book, read the glowing reviews and the flattering comparisons to Mark Twain, and ask their friend, “What do you think, has …
by Amanda Huynh In her debut poetry collection, Parneshia Jones leads her readers through a young black girl’s coming-of-age journey, and describes the transformation of her ties between family members, lovers, and society. Jones organizes the book into a five-sectioned quintet, where each section sings a distinct melody, but one that harmonizes as a collective …
by Emily Howell Longlisted for the National Book Award in Nonfiction, Michael White’s memoir Travels in Vermeer documents White’s journey to reconnect with the inner self through the paintings of Johannes Vermeer. In the middle of a divorce and custody battle that’s restricting his ability to see his daughter, Sophie, White takes a vacation to …
by Maggie Libby Davis For the last two years since my father passed, I’ve been looking for a sweet laid-back book for my mother as she simply doesn’t have the stomach for much drama, particularly of the heart-breaking variety. I came across Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf, his last novel published posthumously earlier …
by Tyler Beckett Neil Gaiman lets his novels take meandering paths, like the long road trips in American Gods, even as the stories move towards conflict and highly personal drama. The author’s wandering style lets him introduce many characters and topics, a generous approach that has contributed to my understanding the man primarily as a …
