Kristin Bair O’Keeffe talks about her novel Thirsty, about her life in China and why she’s there, her publisher, on the craziness and creativity, of promoting a novel cross-country, on why she’s sending her resume to Cirque du Soleil, and lots more.
A review of Since the Accident by Jen Craig
Since the Accident is a complex story masquerading as a ‘what happened then’ narrative, as it minutely examines the psychological fallout of being raised by a narcissistic mother. These women find it difficult to trust their own desires and perceptions, and are not allowed to truly be themselves, instead being undermined by the very people who are supposed to love them.
That Voice, Those Words: Bob Dylan, Time Out of Mind
The rhythm is more prominent, more enthusiastic, with swing and twang, in Time Out of Mind’s “Dirt Road Blues,” than on “Love Sick”; and “Dirt Road Blues” is a song I can imagine being sung at a country fair. There is scene-setting and the comparison of different times—late night is mentioned, as is the changing pace of different days—in Dylan’s draggy voice, a voice that seems the representation of what he feels.
Soul Man, Sex Symbol: Marc Broussard, Keep Coming Back
The creative work of Marc Broussard has drawn many comparisons to rhythm-and-blues music made from 1960s until now, but Broussard’s artistry seems influenced by that music, and in conversation with that music, rather than exploitative; and Broussard’s album Keep Coming Back has a richer sound than most of the other people, such as Duffy, Sharon Jones, Raphael Saadiq, Ryan Shaw, and Amy Winehouse, now mining the same vein.
A review of The Element by Ken Robinson
If this book makes even a small chip in the notion that a standardized test score is the best indicator of intelligence, it will have been worth Robinson and Aronica’s investment of time. For those of us reading it, it could do much more. It could open our eyes about the great diversity of unique capability that we all have and help us to think in much broader terms about ourselves, our children, our colleagues, and indeed our world.
A review of The Five Greatest Warriors by Matthew Riley
It may be one big rollercoaster ride of gunfights, races against time and intricate trap systems, but unlike Reilly’s previous novels, there are also several moments of reflection; most notably when everything has settled down after the hectic beginning of the novel and members of the team set out to research a mysterious inscription relating to ‘The Five Greatest Warriors’.
A review of One Foot Wrong by Sofie Laguna
Despite the horror of Hester’s life – a horror that remains with the reader – there is also a deep sensual beauty. The reader is also left with Hester’s sense of joy and freedom in swimming in a river, noticing the life of the natural world: of insects; dappled light; or an “empty, blue sky” that never ends.
A review of under the gums’ long shade by Beatriz Copello
Beatriz Copello’s under the gums’ long shade is a beautifully written, tender collection full of rich moments. It travels along a very national route, exploring the Australian terrain, and then moves outward to a place that encompasses all of humanity.
A review of Valley of Grace by Marion Halligan
This is a novel full of grace, and it has many charms, quiet though they might be, for the reader. The depictions of both city and country France are rich and tender. So too, as Halligan fans would expect, are the sensual descriptions that fill this book, from Fanny and Gérard’s love scenes, to the delicious pastries, chocolates, and regional dishes that the characters eat. Valley of Grace is a delightful genre-transcending book full of joy and sorrow.
A review of My Father’s Tears and Other Stories by John Updike
Filial relations that are flawed, marriages that don’t quite flow smoothly, the difficulty of getting along with each other; My Father’s Tears and Other Stories is full of the complex stuff of human existence, by a writer who has been one of its finest modern chroniclers. The work, at least, will live on.