A Venn Diagram of Struggle and Belonging: A Review of “Mother/Land” by Ananda Lima
Lima’s poetry collection sings and sobs along the interminable journey of immigration.
Another Brick In The Wall: A Review Of American Comics: A History
While not an encyclopedia proper, it is an encyclopedic cannonball through hundreds of artists and moments.
A Sermon Pretending to Be a Memoir: A Review of “Our Class” by Chris Hedges
A memoir about the English class taught by Hedges at East Jersey State Prison in Rahway, New Jersey in 2013.
A Reckoning: A Review of The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
Louise Erdrich appears as a minor character in her new novel, “The Sentence,” and her bookstore in Minneapolis, Minnesota has an even larger role.
Settle In: A Review of Lori Rader-Day’s Death at Greenway
Set in Britain during World War II, it evokes uncertainty, anxiety, and fear on every page.
Cherry Orchard Living: A Review of Our Country Friends
Our Country Friends” feels anything but rushed. It has the leisurely quality of a Russian novel with a wide cast of characters both rich and poor, youthful and desired, aging and desiring.
The Mirror Faces of Love and Loss: A Review of Laurie Easter’s “All the Leavings”
“All the Leavings” explores motherhood and feminism, illness and addiction, suicide and climate change, and the nuanced nature of loss that’s laced throughout them.
The Sun Is Still In the Sky: A Review of Miriam Toews’ “Fight Night”
A deeply heartwarming glimpse of the bonds between mothers and daughters and grandmothers and granddaughters.
A New Way of Living: A Review of Abby Hagler’s There Was Nothing Left But Gold
Equal parts elegy to a lost home and road map to new ways of living, “There Was Nothing Left But Gold” embarks on a journey without knowing the destination.
No Saint: A Review of Alverne Ball’s Blue Religion
Calhoun navigates multiple worlds. We see him move through a case that pits West Side gangster Chicago against monied North Side businessmen.
