Spain comes out with some really good horror stories written by women. Think of Mercè Rodoreda's "Death in Spring", from an earlier generation. This isSpain comes out with some really good horror stories written by women. Think of Mercè Rodoreda's "Death in Spring", from an earlier generation. This is the story of 4 generations of women in a family. Set in a small, rural Spanish town, which is fast disappearing as the youngsters go off to Madrid or college. And it is a town run by one rich family, who our family may work for, but shows no respect towards. Visions and spells - and revenge (even within their own family). I wish it had been a but longer, and filled in some gaps. How was the bricklayer waylaid? The insect like angels are mentioned, and then just kind of dropped. This is Martinez's first work of fiction, although she has already written a couple of nonfiction titles, and been involved in publishing in Spain for some time. Yes, she has a way with coming up with unusual descriptiors. And translators Hughes and McDermott have a way of finding an English equivalent that fits to the "T". Published by small publisher Two Line Press. Who is getting quite a reputation, especially for their translations. This is not the horror of Stephen King, but a European horror of generations (amazing how often the Spanish Civil War, and its snitches and odious killings, come up in here) and Nature. 4 out of 5. Read as an ebook. Two Lines is doing a lot of publicity for this title....more
First in the Gervase Fen series by Edmund Crispin - (Robert) Bruce Montgomery. Written over Spring Break while Montgomery was still at Oxford, and pubFirst in the Gervase Fen series by Edmund Crispin - (Robert) Bruce Montgomery. Written over Spring Break while Montgomery was still at Oxford, and published in 1944. Doing Literature there, he was also involved in St John's College's musical organizations (including being the organist for 2 years). He went on to become a professional composer, with a lot of his income coming from writing music for B Level film comedies made in England! Including the "Carry On" series. He also became lifelong friends with Philip Larkin while there. He died of alcohol related issues at the age of 56. Set in an Oxford rep theatre, as well as the non-existent St Christopher's College, Crispin really does give a sense of the production of the play. The opening chapter is kind of like the book - it takes awhile, and some patience, for the train passenger to finally arrive at Oxford. But once he does, things move along quickly. All of the major characters are introduced, with background, in the very first chapter. Very edudite, with loads of references to literature (each chapter has an opening quote, often from fairly obscure 17th and 18th C writers). And the title is from Shakespeare (King Lear) - with lots of other instances of using The Bard's plays throughout the novel as well. Fen is an Oxford don, and although his speciality is in some obscure 17th C poets (I think I have that right), he is also considering writing a monograph on Wyndham Lewis. An amateur sleuth, his personality is "flighty", and often annoying. He lets everyone know halfway through the book that he has solved the crime, but won't say who it is, because he still has to tie a few knots of proof together. In the penultimate chapter, where Fen lets us know how the murders happened, and how he solved the crime, things become a bit stretched (Roberts' background in South America!). How it happened, things he knew, but that were not shared with others (including the reader) - it all comes off as a bit much. But, it is that kind of British murder mystery. Read as an ebook, which worked out great, as I needed the online reference works it linked me to in order to understand a few words (Decani!), and identify a few individuals. Still, loads of fun, and as an English major, and still a heavy reader, very enjoyable - looking forward to reading more of the 8 Fen novels and 2 short story collections. 4 out of 5....more
This is Weinberger's largest collection - nearly 300 pp. Essays are in different chapters, according to subject. This is the beginning of him being moThis is Weinberger's largest collection - nearly 300 pp. Essays are in different chapters, according to subject. This is the beginning of him being more political. I had already read as a stand-alone the long "What I Heard About Iraq in 2005" essay, so I skipped over that. It is a bit outdated. But it is interesting that some of the things he complained about in the Cheney/Bush II's regime became even more horrendous under DJT. And, we were all so optimistic with the election of President Barack Obama. Oh well. I had forgotten how well he wrotes about the art of photography. And his commentary on translating. As usual, I found a few books and authors I had never heard of before to pursue - especially older Asian writers. Each essay has a date at the end, which is helpful. And even more so, the Acknowledgements at the beginning of the book, providing us with information on where the essay was published, and often why it was written. A left-leaning Ezra Pound, I do love reading his work. 4 out of 5.
This is a cult book, whose cult becomes larger and larger every year. I came across it with the death of Paul Auster, who was a big fan of the collectThis is a cult book, whose cult becomes larger and larger every year. I came across it with the death of Paul Auster, who was a big fan of the collection, and who wrote an Intro to the 1995 Penguin edition of the book (now going for about $250 a copy!). An expanded version of that Intro is in the LOA's "Collected Writings" edition, which adds about 400+ pages of his output to this volume (diaires and journals included). Each entry, about 1500, simply begins with "I remember...." Many of the entries are "sweet" memories for older Americans (he was born in 1942, and died of AIDS in 1994) - candy and fashions, and what made you cool, and making out and petting. But about 10% of this is NSFG (Not Safe For Grandma). He goes from "I remember party lines on telephones," to remembering getting a BJ while having a casual conversation on the phone in his NYC apartment. Originally published in 4 releases by a small press (and one of them by MOMA!) from 1970-1973. The first collected edition, which is edited from the originals, came out by another small press in 1975. But it was the 1995 Penguin edition, thanks to Auster, which introduced it to a larger readership. Brainard was better known as a Pop artist, and was friends with many members of the New York School of poetry. He grew up with Ron Padgett in Tulsa, and at 18 moved on to NYC (with stops at art school in Dayton, OH and later some time in Boston). His parents must have been quite a couple, in 1947 buying a 5 year old boy a black off the shoulder gown to wear on his birthday! While the concept seems so apparent when you think about it for a second, his "I remember" starter is now used in grade schools, writing programs, and for the elderly in nursing homes. The volume can be like cotton candy, a little is enough. But his quick shifts from a few entries on one subject, to another subject and time completely different, keeps it moving. Most of the entries are a few lines, a handful last maybe a half page. Fun, and yet sad - but not too sad. He is not one to spend time on the miseries of youth. He just wishes he had been cooler, more attractive, and and part of the "cool kids" group. And later in life, he wishes he had been a better artist. The last 15 years of his life he produced little art, either paintings or writing, and lived as a semi-recluse. Dip on in - you'll enjoy it. And if you are of a certain age, you'll be reminded of some fond (and maybe embarrassing as well) memories of times gone by. I read the 2001 Granary Press edition, which includes an Afterwards by Padgett, but not the Intro by Auster. You can read the extended Auster piece in the Amazon "Sample" of the LOA edition listing online. 4 out of 5...more
I've just discovered Levy recently, and this is the first book of her fiction I have read. Kind of "short short stories" almost. 10 stories in about 1I've just discovered Levy recently, and this is the first book of her fiction I have read. Kind of "short short stories" almost. 10 stories in about 120 pp, and lots of blank pages in there between stories. Use of short sentences as well. 2 of the stories are about 20 pp, the rest coming in closer to about 10 pp apiece. I found them to be enjoyable - each one has a nice twist to them. The languange is intense and oddly precise. But at times it seems to be difficult for her to end the story, and that does not always work. A fun read, if you enjoy the unusual. My favorite was the title story. I will be reading more of her in the future. 3.5 out of 5. My thanks to my state library system for the ILL....more
Should you read this book? Yes. Is it a "great book"? No. I realized while reading this that the last time I read Rushdie was in 2012 - his other memoirShould you read this book? Yes. Is it a "great book"? No. I realized while reading this that the last time I read Rushdie was in 2012 - his other memoir/autobiography, "Joseph Anton". For his fiction - I am not sure when the last time I read any of it. Some time around the turn of the century perhaps? Until I read this, and some of the comments about it on various media sources, I did not realize how much so many people disliked him. For my attitude towards him, I'd have to pick up on a couple things he says, about himself and The A - evaluate him (Rushdie) by his writing, and, "I don't care about you". And by "you" I mean his personal public life. Which for me is rather a statement on why I have not read him in so long. Part of the dislike of Rushdie by others is his name and place dropping (really heavy in "JA"). Sometimes unnamed specifically, but still dropped. And we get more than enough of that here as well. Everyone he knows is "special" and SO talented. Ugh! And his wealth, and wealthy friends. He cries poor, while later talking about his frequent trips to London to see freinds and family prior to this event. Or his friends who offer him and his new wife/partner (who, BTW, since he never mentions it, is 30 years younger than him) their glorious apartment in Manhattan. Or the $18K mouthpiece he obtains - he complains about the price, and that it was not covered by his insurance. But that does not stop him from purchasing it, or having to cut back on groceries or food deliveries in order to pay for it. Like the rest of us would have to. While I know this is a book about him, and the horrible thing that happened to him (and the greater idea of freedom of expression, for which he has fought so hard over the decades), in the end the problem is that the book IS just about *him*. Nothing in his lfe is something I, or so many others, can identify with (who do you know who has nightnares/dreams with various real life Surrealists in it!!!????). Not until the very end, when he talks about love and family, did I feel any real connection to what had happened to him, and how he and his life had changed. But yes, it is an event than needs to be told by the victim - so do read this short work. And, as one critic put it, get his side of the story (emphasis on "his" - the unreliable narrator, whether if it is in fiction or in autobiography). My thanks to my local PL for a copy to read..... 3 out of 5.
Masciotra is a journalist, arts writer and a member of academia. He uses his home ground of the greater Chicago metra area in order to explain the groMasciotra is a journalist, arts writer and a member of academia. He uses his home ground of the greater Chicago metra area in order to explain the growth of "exurbia" in the US, and its connection to the scourge of Trumpism. A good mix of the personal and actual research - well annotated. It was nice to find, near the end of the book, that we have a common connection in Joliet, IL. I grew up there. He went to the U of St Francis in Joliet, and his first job out of college was on the Joliet "Herald-News" newspaper. Well written - informative, and yet it reads well without being a chore. And chock full of facts. My thanks to my local PL for procuring this book upon my request. 4 out of 5. Good read for current events, democracy and facts, and history of the greater Chicago area. ...more
I picked this up to read the 2 stories in it that Wes Anderson used for 2 of his recent 4 short films based on Dahl stories - the title story and "TheI picked this up to read the 2 stories in it that Wes Anderson used for 2 of his recent 4 short films based on Dahl stories - the title story and "The Swan". It is a mixed bag of pieces, including an autobiographical piece on how he started writing. Which got me interested in the other 4 pieces in the collection, and his 3 volumes of autobiography - including one on being a pilot in WWII. His style is straight forward and generally casual, and rather refreshing. A combination of realistic and childish fantasy. The title story is the longes piece here, at about 70 pp - most others are about 25-30 pp long each. Interesting how Anderson took the story and made it into film, keeping the "I said", "And then he said" the narrator uses in the title story itself. Sadly my Penguin Puffin edition did not include the illustrations. OK, it may not be Great Literature, but it is an enjoyable read - and I am looking forward to diving into those volumes of autobio some day in the near future. 4 out of 5. ...more
Many authors list this as one of their favorite, or most influential on them, books that they have read. Again, a reread for me - after about 30 yearsMany authors list this as one of their favorite, or most influential on them, books that they have read. Again, a reread for me - after about 30 years. Published in 1991, Johnson fictionalizes his life in the early and mid 1970's in this collection of short stories. Iowa City - pre urban renewal. When there were some great dive bars downtown. Where the customers were sketchy, and on the edge. Neither farmer nor "gown". I was there for a year at this time - I wonder if our paths crossed any evening. Also a couple of stories each set in Chicago and Seattle from the same time frame. This is when Chicago was "last person to leave, turn the lights off" after offices closed at 5 PM. Not the now gentrified Chicago, and Seattle, we now encounter. And the Seattle stories are set in the area surrounding downtown Seattle/Pike Street Place. Which also had some bars where the customers sat and sipped a glass of beer, or fortified wine, through the afternoon. But it wasn't just booze - it was heroin too. Which was Johnson's problem. And the petty theft he took part in in order to pay for his habit. (I was a bartender at Dave's Foxhead - not a Writer's Workshop hangout yet at the time - I had people in hospital gowns come in for a drink [the hospital is just up the street], or a guy trying to sell a baby scale to the other customers! He had obviously found an unlocked car nearby.) But yeah, gritty. "Autofiction" decades before it has become a so called "new" thing with a younger generation. I keep wondering how much of the last story, "Beverly Home", is true. Set in Phoenix, where he is cleaning himself up, so there are fewer drugs in the story. But the ongoing, nightly, voyeurism is truly creepy. It takes a lot to write about that, and yourself, if it really was the author's own experience. They tried to turn this into a movie - filmed, if not set, in NJ! Nope. 4.5 out of 5. Read it....more
I am going down a bit of a Gypsy Rose Lee rabbit hole here as of late. So, of course, I had to read this, first published in 1941. She did one other nI am going down a bit of a Gypsy Rose Lee rabbit hole here as of late. So, of course, I had to read this, first published in 1941. She did one other novel, as well as a play and an autobiography. Reprinter here by the Feminist Press of CUNY as part of their Femmes Fatales series. It includes an Afterword by Rachel Shteir (faculty at DePaul U of Chicago's Theatre School, her publications include books on the art of stripping, Gypsy - and shoplifting!). She presses the point a bit too much, so do NOT start a drinking game for every time she refers to Lee as "stripper intellectual". You will find yourself as passed out as some of the burlesque characters in this mystery! A good sense and feel for the world of burlesque. The ending is a bit too convoluted, and with too many false conclusions. There is some question as to how much of this Gypsy wrote herself. On the vaudeville stage since early childhood, she never had any formal education. Janet Flanner probably helped her quite a bit, as did Craig Rice (Georgiana Ann Randolph Craig) a mystery writer who recently is becoming appreciated once again. Craig lived in Chicago, and Lee moved there to be with, and work for, her major crush, Mike Todd. A couple other writers may have given advice as well, and then she had an excellent editor, who really took the corrective pen to the manuscript. This volume (read as an ebook), includes the text of a promotional piece the publisher put out that was supposedly a series of letters between herself and the editor, George Davis at Simon & Schuster. But it is a fun read most of the time. I am looking forward to watching the film version of this, "Lady of Burlesque" (1943) with Barbara Stanwyck (who, with a nickname like "The Stick", does not have a stipper's body!). Over-inflated praise (no, she is not a Cain or Hammett - and having Proust on your bookshelf does not automatically make you an intellectual), But still a fun, quick read. And the burlesque setting shines - with the personality clashes, the turned-upside-down work day, the bars and cheap coffee shops, and the whole economics of that edgy world. Worth a read - and the additional material CUNY included is much appreciated as well. 3 out of 5....more
My thanks to Stark House for publishing an affordable ebook version of this in April 2024. Along with a good Introduction and Afterwards by Curtis EvaMy thanks to Stark House for publishing an affordable ebook version of this in April 2024. Along with a good Introduction and Afterwards by Curtis Evans (a bit too much on Gunn's extended family). Source for the film, "Born to Kill", which also was shown on TCM's Noir Alley in April. They are two very different animals. Loads of characters who are in the book, and not in the film. But the film script nicely pairs it all down into a more workable form for the screen. Although I do miss the carny mind-reader turned psychotherapist (who blackmails his clients!). Lags a bit in the middle, and for some time it is more about psycho killer Sam (we know from the first few pages who-done-it) than about "Deadlier" Helen. But the last 50 pp picks up and gets to the point, and becomes tense, with inter-personal conflicts coming to a head. Odd part is women are so attracted to Sam, but there is no sex in the book (other than the Earth Mother). But then this was put out there by a "legitimate" publisher, not a pulp house. Gunn's lone novel, written when he was still at Stanford, and published when he was 22. Some cliches and ignorance of youth. But overall a good read, yet not great. 3.5 out of 5....more
I was a little hesitant to read this, since it had been getting RAVE reviews (what happens if I didn't like it!!!???) and I am not a big fan of short I was a little hesitant to read this, since it had been getting RAVE reviews (what happens if I didn't like it!!!???) and I am not a big fan of short story collections. Some people love them, some people hate them. I'm just not a big fan - most of the time. Thankfully this ended up being a fantastic read! Most of the stories are written in the First Person, and the exposition is just so casual and real. "Real" - a word that accurately describes every story in the collection. . Black families, mostly down South - men are about, but truly secondary characters. They are mostly "there" in their absence. Multi-generational women, upwardly mobile. And young girls and women dealing with their sexuality. Sexuality - I think there is sex in every one of these stories. But good, healty sex (straight and lesbian). Sex mostly of their own choosing, realizing their needs and getting them met, sex that allows larger women to accept a positive image of themselves. And mothers I think there is a mother in most every one of these stories (or a grandmother or great grandmother raising the narrator). Most of it, sadly, bad - some of it just OK. But dealing with that relationship is a major theme of many of the stories here. Ending the volume with, "When Eddie Levert Comes" was a good choice. The narrator dealing with her mother's dementia, the sadness of the harsh treatment she had received for decades, and that her mother still recognizes the uninterested son, but not her, the major caretaker - sadly brilliant. But yes, just about every story came across as "real" to me (OK, a white male in his 60's, so what do I know, but....). And she pretty much stayed away from the "Raymond Carver Protocol". 20-25 pages, surprise revelation at the very end. The one story that kind of fits that format was my least favorite ("Jael"). Otherwise my favorite was, "How To Make Love To A Physicist" - just cheering that he will not end up being a jerk! And her taking a chance, slowly, but surely. Soon to be an HBO series, looking forward to "Peach Cobbler" on the screen! Quick read, small format of about 175 pp of text. 5 out of 5. Strongly recommended.
For book collectors, here is a good description of the true First Edition. West Virgina University Press (why didn't a major publisher pick this up!!!???) has "First Edition" in all printings, but they aren't. I found out my copy is a First Edition, Second Printing. Thanks to Holly Books in Brewster, MA for this, on AbeBooks. Easy to tell, just a matter of "flaps/no flaps". "Philyaw, Deesha. The Secret Lives of Church Ladies. Morgantown: West Virginia University Press (2020). 1st Edition (stated) in first issue softcover binding with both of the flaps and the correct text on the rear cover. The front flap contains a description of the stories, and the rear flap has two photos and a bio of the Author. The flaps on this copy are glued to the covers. The first issue text on the rear cover has a blurb by Kiese Laymon, a blurb by Yona Harvey and a one word ?Triumphant? by Publishers Weekly. Anything different, and there are multiple variations to the rear of the book, are later issues. The second issue of this title retained the First Edition statement but removed the flaps and changed the text on the rear of the book. The third issue of this title retained these changes and added the National Book Award Finalist medallion to the front cover. 7 ½ x 4 ¾. 179 pp. Color illustrated priced softcover as issued (no hardcover First Edition). Finalist for the 2020 National Book Award for Fiction. Winner of the 2021 Pen Faulkner Award for Fiction. The Author's first book of Fiction. Contains 9 short stories."
Merged review:
I was a little hesitant to read this, since it had been getting RAVE reviews (what happens if I didn't like it!!!???) and I am not a big fan of short story collections. Some people love them, some people hate them. I'm just not a big fan - most of the time. Thankfully this ended up being a fantastic read! Most of the stories are written in the First Person, and the exposition is just so casual and real. "Real" - a word that accurately describes every story in the collection. . Black families, mostly down South - men are about, but truly secondary characters. They are mostly "there" in their absence. Multi-generational women, upwardly mobile. And young girls and women dealing with their sexuality. Sexuality - I think there is sex in every one of these stories. But good, healty sex (straight and lesbian). Sex mostly of their own choosing, realizing their needs and getting them met, sex that allows larger women to accept a positive image of themselves. And mothers I think there is a mother in most every one of these stories (or a grandmother or great grandmother raising the narrator). Most of it, sadly, bad - some of it just OK. But dealing with that relationship is a major theme of many of the stories here. Ending the volume with, "When Eddie Levert Comes" was a good choice. The narrator dealing with her mother's dementia, the sadness of the harsh treatment she had received for decades, and that her mother still recognizes the uninterested son, but not her, the major caretaker - sadly brilliant. But yes, just about every story came across as "real" to me (OK, a white male in his 60's, so what do I know, but....). And she pretty much stayed away from the "Raymond Carver Protocol". 20-25 pages, surprise revelation at the very end. The one story that kind of fits that format was my least favorite ("Jael"). Otherwise my favorite was, "How To Make Love To A Physicist" - just cheering that he will not end up being a jerk! And her taking a chance, slowly, but surely. Soon to be an HBO series, looking forward to "Peach Cobbler" on the screen! Quick read, small format of about 175 pp of text. 5 out of 5. Strongly recommended.
For book collectors, here is a good description of the true First Edition. West Virgina University Press (why didn't a major publisher pick this up!!!???) has "First Edition" in all printings, but they aren't. I found out my copy is a First Edition, Second Printing. Thanks to Holly Books in Brewster, MA for this, on AbeBooks. Easy to tell, just a matter of "flaps/no flaps". "Philyaw, Deesha. The Secret Lives of Church Ladies. Morgantown: West Virginia University Press (2020). 1st Edition (stated) in first issue softcover binding with both of the flaps and the correct text on the rear cover. The front flap contains a description of the stories, and the rear flap has two photos and a bio of the Author. The flaps on this copy are glued to the covers. The first issue text on the rear cover has a blurb by Kiese Laymon, a blurb by Yona Harvey and a one word ?Triumphant? by Publishers Weekly. Anything different, and there are multiple variations to the rear of the book, are later issues. The second issue of this title retained the First Edition statement but removed the flaps and changed the text on the rear of the book. The third issue of this title retained these changes and added the National Book Award Finalist medallion to the front cover. 7 ½ x 4 ¾. 179 pp. Color illustrated priced softcover as issued (no hardcover First Edition). Finalist for the 2020 National Book Award for Fiction. Winner of the 2021 Pen Faulkner Award for Fiction. The Author's first book of Fiction. Contains 9 short stories."...more
Having been introduced to Levy just recently, reading an eARC of her upcoming collection of essays, I wanted to give some of her fiction a try as wellHaving been introduced to Levy just recently, reading an eARC of her upcoming collection of essays, I wanted to give some of her fiction a try as well. This 2011 novel was highly recommended as one of her best. For being a piece of "literary fiction" it reads surprisingly fast. The cast of characters is varied, all with their slyly humorous messy lives - while being a sad mess at the same time. The ending is a nice twist, but things all happen a bit too quickly, with a lack of detail. Worth a read, and I look foreward to giving her autobiographical work a try as well. 4 out of 5 Thanks for the ebook, to my local PL and state library sysytem....more
I've been on a Beowulf jag the last half year or so. So this is like the 4th or 5th Beowulf translation I have read recently. My very belated thanks tI've been on a Beowulf jag the last half year or so. So this is like the 4th or 5th Beowulf translation I have read recently. My very belated thanks to NetGalley and the author for an e-ARC of this title. I am thanking the author because it is self-published, in March of 2022. Carnabuci is an attorney, not an Old/Middle English scholar. Good Notes, filling in some explanations other translators have not handled. OTOH, sometimes he didn't explain events or characters which could have used it. There did not seem to be any reason for what was, or wasn't, explained. But it was refreshing that in the last section, where Beowulf dies fighting the dragon, there are a few stanzas about some armor being given and re-given back and forth, and who killed wh, and who was related to whom, and who was in exile! Carnabuci is the ony translator I have come across who starts his Note with the admission, "This can be confusing....." Yep! I swear he has added some lines to the poem. Helpful lines, which further describe or expand on a situation. And he is really strong on the hyphenated words as a combination of being a noun and descriptor. And his use of the Anglo-Saxon poetic standard of same consonants within lines - although he does overdo it on some occasions. A really good translation, and overall the Notes are both some of the best and some of the worst out there. Every time I read this poem I get more from it, and this transalation in particular helped me understand much of what was happening, and who was who, and how they were related within family and history. I'm glad Carnabuci chose to go down the Beowulf rabbit hole, and to publish it himself (I am imagining that no one else would - there are enough Beowulf translations out there already, and he is not a "scholar"?). 4.5 out of 5....more
My thanks to critic and novelist Deborah Levy for bringing this title to my attention. Her introduction to this edition is included in her most recentMy thanks to critic and novelist Deborah Levy for bringing this title to my attention. Her introduction to this edition is included in her most recent upcoming book. Sad that this Modernist gem is so little known. Part of the fault lies with its own author, who limited its reprint. And most of the reprints have been small press printings. The original was published in 1919 by the Woolfs' Hogarth Press. Virginia herself made corrections in ink, and sewed the bindings of the 170 copies they printed! This F&F edition is the one to buy. Edited by scholar Sandeep Parmar (U of Liverpool - she has also edited, and been influential in getting reprinted, Mirrlees' novels and her complete poems), it includes the short-long poem (about 25 pp) and the late/great Julia Briggs' extensive notes on the poem (about 28 pp, from her 2007 reprint in an anthology of women's writings). Wow, what digging Briggs did in order to come up with some of the references within "Paris". Such as plays and popular entertainment that was being presented at the time of this poetic, semi-Surrealistic (Cocteau was an influence) poetic walk through Paris in 1919. Comparisons to Eliot's "The Waste Land" are often made. This, also Modernist and about veterans of WWI, was published 2 years prior to Eliot's work. But there is no indication he had read it before writing his own poem. OTOH, considering Pound's extensive work on Eliot's magnus opus, perhaps we should be looking into whether Ezra had read this before beginning his editorial work. Eliot and Mirrlees became close friends, but later in life. He often stayed with her and her mother in rural England during WWII. She returned there upon the death of her much older mentor and partner, Jane Harrison (with whom she was with in Paris when she wrote the poem). Oddly Parmar seems to be unwilling to use the term "lovers" when talking about their relationship. Upon Harrison's death Mirrlees became a devout Catholic (perhaps this, along with Eliot's conversion to the CofE, is what brought them closer together). Her new-found devotion was so strong that in one later reprint she rewrote 13 lines, and exorcised the originals as being "blasphemist"! Between 1919 and 1926 Mirrlees wrote this and 3 novels. Including "Lud-in-the-Mist", a fantasy that is still often read, especially in England. She did not publish again until 1962, and between then and her death at 91 in 1978, she wrote 2 slim volumes of poetry and a biography of an antiquarian (which Eliot helped her publish). The ever changing typography, the use of French, obscure (and personal) cultural and historical references - all make it a difficult read. But not impossible. I read it twice (it is, after all, just 25 pp long). Once turning to Briggs' Notes every few stanzas. And once reading it straight through, in order to catch the flow of the poem. My thanks for the scholarly work that has been done on Mirrlees' "Paris" For making it accessible in an edition available to many readers. And to F&F for expending the effort, and cost, to reprint this, with its many changes in format and typography. What a pity that it has taken me 50 years after reading "The Waste Land" to become aware of this important poem! 5 out of 5....more
First off, my thanks to NetGalley and Pantheon for an eARC of this book. It has been decades since I have read Berger. Better known as an art critic tFirst off, my thanks to NetGalley and Pantheon for an eARC of this book. It has been decades since I have read Berger. Better known as an art critic than an artist (and perhaps as an novelist as well), this slim volume mixes the two. It is an ongoing conversation betwen John Berger and his son Yves (also an artist) regarding the perception and practice of an artist. Regarding both artistic works, and the world and self. In ways it is a continuation of "Ways of Seeing". The ebook format for this book is not recommended. There are many reproductions of artwork in here, and in the ebook format the images are scrunched together on the page of a pad reader. What they are of, let alone the detail, is almost unrecognizable at times. Also, on occasion it is hard to determine which of the two is writing - again, this may be a shortcoming only in the ebook version. There is no clear delineation between who is writing when. OTOH, their conversation, a little slow to begin with (and moves from postcards to emails it appears), becomes an insightful and interesting commentary between the two on art and artists and practice. Also, at the end of the volume there is a collection of sketches by the two artists. Perhaps for Berger completists, and active artists, only - but I still enjoyed the read. 4 out of 5 Publication date: November 12, 2024 ...more
My thanks to NetGalley and FSG for an eARC of this title. I was unfamilar with playwright, fiction writer, and essayist Levy prior to reading this booMy thanks to NetGalley and FSG for an eARC of this title. I was unfamilar with playwright, fiction writer, and essayist Levy prior to reading this book. This is a collection of pieces from over the past few years. Essays and reviews of writing and art, and her life. She appears to work harder in the earlier pieces to somewhat shock the reader. Levy introduced me to some writers and artists I did not know about previously. People like the writers Ann Quin and Hope Merrlees, and the artist Paula Rego. Her essay on J G Ballard is really good as well. I really appreciated that at the back of the book there is a few pages with complete bibliographic information on each piece. Where and when it was published. I wish more books of short stories and essays did this. Overall her writing interested me enough to order a book of her fiction, and the first of the 3 short volumes of autobiography she has written. Informative, and enjoyable (in an odd, quirky, kind of way). 4 out of 5 Publication date 10/01/2024...more
I have not read this mythical writer since this book of short stories came out in 1983, 4 years after his suicide. 12 stories (6 of them had been publI have not read this mythical writer since this book of short stories came out in 1983, 4 years after his suicide. 12 stories (6 of them had been published in magazines during his life time) - about 150 pp of his text, with another 35 of ancillary pieces about him by other writers. He admired Hemingway, and it is obvious in this collection, set mainly in W Virginia. But Hemingway was brought up well to do in suburban Chicago, and made his own other life in the wilds. Pancake was born and raised dirt poor in the midst of coal and hollows. At times I could haved used a glossary for some of the local terms he uses! I spent a year and a half in KY Appalachia in the early '80's, and there are some things missing in here. While he often has his characters speak in the dialect of the hills of W VA, at other times he does not. A "hollow" is always a "holler" in real life. No tipples. No welfare, or distrust of police and social workers. The violence is not as mindless and gut wrenching as it is in reality there. No family feuds. But the stories are strong, and much of that strength comes from his use of the local details of coal country W VA. A place where even in the '70's was becoming a dead end, with no employment. And the younger people torn between getting out and saving themselves, or staying on to assist the aging, now poverty stricken, parents. He does include food and religion in his stories, in a quiet kind of way. And the contrast between the land's beauty, and the way much of it has become torn apart and polluted. Favorites for me included "Foxhunters", "The Scrapper" and "In the Dry". I have a copy of the LOA Pancake on its way - it adds a few other stories, unfinished material and letters. I'm looking forward to readinfg those as well. A strong 4 out of 5. ...more
My thanks to NetGalley and Catapult for an eARC of this title. Not sure why author Ali Smith is listed as the "author" here - it is edited, with a nicMy thanks to NetGalley and Catapult for an eARC of this title. Not sure why author Ali Smith is listed as the "author" here - it is edited, with a nice Intro, by Becca Rothfield. Some good, young, and up-and-coming authors in here. Joshua Cohen, Elif Batuman, and Tommy Orange among them. Yiyun Li's story was a big disappointment, and Charlie Kaufmann should maybe stick to scripts. Lots of guilt and enclosure. Some were obviously written during the COVID pandemic. I have not read a compilation by theme, with stories by different authors, in some time. So occasionally I had an issue with the changing voice, perspective and style from author to author. But overall a good collection, and nice to see the Kafkaian slant they put in their contributions. ...more
Amazon does e-collections of original stories. collected by theme. Usually 6-8 stories. This is part of the "Never Tell" series. Pochada's rep has gaiAmazon does e-collections of original stories. collected by theme. Usually 6-8 stories. This is part of the "Never Tell" series. Pochada's rep has gained interest since the publication of her last book, "Sing Her Down". This is a good story, a mix of horror and mystery - kind of a blend of "The Lottery" and "The Illustrated Man". Heavy into the tattoo culture here. Set in a small desert town further east of Joshua Tree. Interesting that Pochada, as Ivy Claire, wrote/cowrote 2 YA novels with Kobe Bryant, the Epoca titles. "Created by Kobe Bryant. Written by Ivy Claire." Dark enough to make me want to read more of her work.
I also read Carol Kepnes' "The Bad Friend" in this collection. Kept my interest, kind of. Not her best work. No edge to it - even at the reveal....more
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