The Limits of Love: A Review of “Life of Ganesh” by Syed Afzal Haider
An alluring reflection on the limits of love in the beliefs we hold, and how we hold them.
Witness to Trauma: A Review of Howard Reich’s “The Art of Inventing Hope: Intimate Conversations With Elie Wiesel“
In a world that has been overtaken by the material, Reich’s book reminds us that each of our lives exist in relation to so many others.
Occupying Space: A Review of “Build Yourself a Boat” by Camonghne Felix
Camonghne Felix debuted this slim collection shortly after working on the campaign of Chicago mayoral hopeful Amara Enyia. After the campaign’s end, Felix joined several of her peers in New York and Chicago by publishing these poems that occupy space. Occupying space is significant.
Lit Top 5: May 2019
Poetry, essays, fiction and storytelling brighten up May.
Altered States: T Fleischmann Discusses “Time Is The Thing A Body Moves Through”
“It’s okay, you don’t have to be this way anymore” can be a radically liberating idea.
Sex and a Single Midwestern Girl in New York: Renée Rosen discusses “Park Avenue Summer”
I loved her courage and flat out chutzpah. She was a 105-pound powerhouse who wasn’t afraid to stand up for herself and ultimately for all woman.
Comfort Me With Memories: A Preview of Ruth Reichl at 210 Design House
Reichl’s intuitive mastery of the magazine form could not overcome the transformative tsunami destroying much of the media business, and on her watch, Conde Nast pulled the plug on Gourmet. In her new memoir, she chronicles her decade at the helm, as she learned the trade in a company infamous for its low-tolerance of inexperienced rubes (see “The Devil Wears Prada”), charming her way into the hearts of many of her collaborators and, in other cases, replacing them.
Loss and Gain: A Review of “Documents” by Jan-Henry Gray
Gray uses the unfettered landscape of poetry to release himself and others from the limitations that aggrieve undocumented immigrants.
Many Muslims: A Review of “Halal If You Hear Me”
“Let us create a poetics that recreates the hamaam, where we can come in our real, naked skin, sit in the water and talk openly.”
Lit Top 5: April 2019
Poetry, power and prints in Chicago this April.
