Content warning: transphobia, abuse, sexual assault One of the perks of having a wildly out of control TBR list is that sometimes you don't remember exactly what a certain book is or why it's on there. You just recognize its title and author one day in the library, and a little bell goes off in … Continue reading A Tonic Against Despair: Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryko Aoki
September was a pretty banner month for me. For one thing, I got to attend a 10-day writing residency on an off-the-grid island, with two other writers, a wood-fired sauna, and some attendant loons and beavers. For another, I got my hands on Claire-Louise Bennett's newest book, Checkout 19. If you aren't familiar with Claire-Louise … Continue reading I Will Follow Claire-Louise Bennett Anywhere
It feels like a long moment since I've posted about one of my true loves: what Persephone Books terms "neglected classics," penned by female writers. Some may venture to call it vintage "middlebrow" fiction (but others may bare their teeth at them). Today I am delighted to be writing about Margery Sharp, who has somehow … Continue reading A Vintage Delight: The Nutmeg Tree by Margery Sharp
What do you get when you stir together some classical literature, the experience of transmasculine transition, a strict religious upbringing, and a razor-sharp wit capable of seeing and skewering the absurdity of life in pitch-perfect language? Well, you get this book. I have been a fan and follower of Daniel M. Lavery since the days of … Continue reading William Shatner, The Rapture, and Anticipatory Abs: Something That May Shock and Discredit You by Daniel M. Lavery
The lady herself: Muriel Spark in 1960. For a long time, Muriel Spark was a name in the back of my mind. I saw her books in used bookstores and thought, I should read those. I knew of the film adaptation of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, but I wasn't sure about it—not only … Continue reading Muriel Spark & Me
Fiction or non? The question reminds me of the days of yore (i. e., the 1980s—my childhood) when restaurants would ask you: smoking or non? But much like those questionably-defined sections in restaurants, where the smoke would drift indiscriminately around, the question in writing of fiction or non? is not always easy to define. Last … Continue reading Fiction or Non? (plus a writing prompt)
Historically significant times are not exactly the most restful to be living in. Over the past six months or so of life during pandemic (heartbreaking), rebellion (yes!), and change (stressful though necessary), I have found myself turning to short stories as a means of temporary escape. When my mind was whirling too much to settle … Continue reading Mrs. Golightly and Other Stories…and other stories
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