This is a quietly impressive collection for lovers of the flash form, the traditional short story, and of poetic form. It is for dog-lovers, for mothers and lovers, and those for whom the routines, landscape, and concept of domesticity implies a multitude of contradictions and simultaneous truths. In her poised expressions and riddle-like compositions, we come to know the many dimensions of this Kim Chinquee/Elle character and her relationships.
A review of Bury My Heart at Chuck E. Cheese’s by Tiffany Midge
The fifty-odd pieces that make up this collection are divided thematically into eleven different sections and take aim at national holidays, movies, language, literature and a host of other themes, from a Native American perspective, and culminate in a merciless assessment of the Donald Trump administration, the coup de grâce a poem entitled ”Ars Poetica by Donald Trump.”
A review of Beowulf, a New Translation by Maria Dahvana Headley
What the book shows clearly is that human nature and its relationship to the world is timeless, and Beowulf is also a story about modern life. We may not have literal dragons, but we have plenty of bar-room bombast, metaphorical monsters, and enough inequality to make Beowulf as relevant a tale as it ever was. This is a version that is highly recommended, not so much to ensure you’re up with your classic education, but rather, for the sheer pleasure of the story and its execution.
A review of Love After Love by Ingruid Persaud
A review of Square Haunting by Francesca Wade
A review of You Must Be Layla by Yassmin Abdel-Magied
The book discusses migrant experience, discrimination and inequality in perfect way for readers who are just starting to read young adult fiction. Inspiring themes and messages are communicated throughout, and these are some of the elements I loved which made me so excited to talk about in this review. The family’s culture and beliefs are portrayed and the language, being Arabic, is also incorporated. I discovered and learnt a lot whilst reading, which I really enjoyed and found to be yet another impressive element in this story.
A review of From the Ancestors: Poems and Prayers for Future Generations, edited by Ron Whitehead
The poems, prayers and music in this collection are courageous, refreshing and from the heart. We identify and are not strangers to their expressions of love, joy, and uncompromising cries for justice, peace and healing. They address the challenging and turbulent and political and social climate we live under today. Uniting this collection is hope. The unrelenting determination to persevere.
An interview with Kentucky Outlaw Poet Ron Whitehead
In this new interview with a poet that Lawrence Feelinghetti calls a “Bodhisattva in Kentucky”, Ron Whitehead talks about how he became aware he was a poet, some of his favourite poems, what his life was like growing up, how he’s navigating Covid-19, his writing, music and visual art style, his project From the Ancestors: Poems and Prayers for Future Generations, 14 suggestions for aspiring poets and writers, and lots more.
A review of Four Quartets Poetry in the Pandemic edited by Kristina Marie Darling and Jeffrey Levine
The pandemic has made time blur for people. This anthology offers a variety of excellent poems by an inclusive array of artists to help us remember and acknowledge how we coped (or not.) Just as T. S. Elliot’s “Four Quartets” were originally published as stand-alone works, the chapbooks that make up this anthology by the same name can be savored separately even as we appreciate how they weave and intersect. This anthology will resonate and shine in the future as a historic literary gem.
A review of Alchemy by Fiona Perry
Reading Alchemy will excite your imagination. You will travel in a magic carpet to the past and present, the vivid images in the poem will become a painting in your mind. I advise: read each poem a few times and you will, with each reading discover layers of beauty and humanity.