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Gabrielle Moss's short story, Lost Dog, is a little bit spooky. It's the story of a young boy, Hunter, his younger sister, Brianna, and the werewolf in their backyard. It's good and it's also funny. Here's a line: "Brianna gives him this look where she looks exactly like their mother when she’s disappointed in him. … Continue reading weekend reading
In An Interview with Celeste Ng, Nicole S. Chung discusses issues of race, family, representation, the writing process, and more with Celeste Ng, author of Everything I Never Told You. The interview centers on the Asian American experience, with Ng relating how her own childhood family and current family (with her husband and son) influence her work. Ng says, … Continue reading weekend reading
In Falconetti Drinks the Water of Anguish, by Garrett Saleen, Rene Falconetti is dying. An expatriate of Paris living and working in Rio de Janerio, Falconetti reminisces on her life as an underappreciated theater actress. This story is good. It is beautifully written, non-linear, and sad. Here's a line: "The landscape passes like a dream—everything is wet … Continue reading weekend reading
In The Story Is the Thing, Lydia Davis (author of Break it Down and Can't and Won't ) shamelessly gushes over the writing of legendary short story author Lucia Berlin. She states, "Berlin is unflinching, pulls no punches, and yet the brutality of life is always tempered by her compassion for human frailty, the wit and intelligence of that … Continue reading weekend reading
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates Reviewed by Bethany In Ralph Ellison’s 1952 novel Invisible Man, a nameless African-American protagonist tells us that “there are few things in the world as dangerous as sleepwalkers.” These words were called to mind as I devoured Ta-Nehisi Coates’ mesmerizing blend of memoir, history, and cultural criticism, Between … Continue reading Book Review: BETWEEN THE WORLD AND ME
The Vorrh by Brian Catling Reviewed by Raul When I had a chance to read The Vorrh by Catling, I jumped on it. I love debut novels because sometimes you come across a book that is just unusual enough to grab you. This was no exception, and the way the author plots the story, you … Continue reading Book Review: The Vorrh
Chris Kraus's Torpor, originally published in 2006, was recently republished by semiotext(e). In Null and Void, Becca Rothfeld insists that Torpor "is not the festival of negativity we deserved but the festival of negativity we needed in those—and these—artificially untroubled times." Though she deems the novel "depressing to a fault," she argues for the importance of negativity and negative emotion … Continue reading weekend reading
Ashes in My Mouth, Sand in My Shoes: Stories by Per Petterson ~post by Ben I came to Per Petterson’s Ashes in My Mouth, Sand in My Shoes not long after having read Nguyen Nhat Anh’s Ticket to Childhood (which I recommend strongly). Both approach childhood and, due to the temporal proximity with which … Continue reading Book Review: Ashes in My Mouth, Sand in My Shoes: Stories
In Turpentine, Alia Volz recounts her childhood with an artist mother. It is a short, beautiful story centered around the scent of the turpentine her mother used while painting. "When the muse is gorged and satisfied, it will abandon her body like a used rubber glove, leaving her saggy and deflated, a formless, useless biohazard. My mom … Continue reading weekend reading
BookPeople is proud to partner with the Austin American-Statesman for our monthly Statesman Selects program. Each month, we get together to select one book you absolutely must not miss. The Statesman Selects pick for March is the debut novel by Austin author Jill Alexander Essbaum, Hausfrau. Pick up a copy of the Statesman on Sunday, March 22 to read … Continue reading Statesman Selects: HAUSFRAU
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