I've followed Villarreal's work as a poet for a while and was excited she'd written a memoir. Structurally, this reminds me a lot of White Magic by ElI've followed Villarreal's work as a poet for a while and was excited she'd written a memoir. Structurally, this reminds me a lot of White Magic by Elissa Washuta and Creep by Myriam Gurba, which are both excellent non-linear accounts that combine memoir, cultural criticism, histories of race, and pop culture. Did this one on audio and it did not disappoint....more
You kind of have to let this one take you for the ride. It's chaotic and gross and funny, with horror/absurd tendencies. There is a pretty bad earthquYou kind of have to let this one take you for the ride. It's chaotic and gross and funny, with horror/absurd tendencies. There is a pretty bad earthquake. The cover is bananas. But family lies at its heart! Read it....more
I've followed Morgan Parker for a long time and she's always seemed like such a cool and lovely person, as well as someone who is incredibly 3.5 stars
I've followed Morgan Parker for a long time and she's always seemed like such a cool and lovely person, as well as someone who is incredibly observant and perceptive and self-aware. She's gone through a lot of therapy and it shows in her stark understandings of loneliness and how that loneliness is impacted by systemic oppression, i.e. moving through the world as a Black woman. It's actually refreshing to for once focus on loneliness as something that doesn't just happen to white American men, to see it through the perspective of someone already experiencing life in the margins. It seems important to understand what that looks like.
Some commentary doesn't say much that hasn't been said by countless other thinkers (hardships in the spotlight the Williams sisters faced; how to reconcile one's love of Bill Cosby). But Parker hits a great balance overall between personal narrative and socio-cultural writing. I also listened to this on audio (I know, look at me doing the audio thing!), and she does a great job narrating the text....more
Enjoyed this memoir-in-verse as much as I liked 100 Boyfriends. The format works well; I often think the mistake memoir writers make is thinking they Enjoyed this memoir-in-verse as much as I liked 100 Boyfriends. The format works well; I often think the mistake memoir writers make is thinking they need 250 pages of prose to tell their stories. Purnell is sharp and funny and smart and a badass storyteller....more
Admittedly biased because I have loved Kaveh Akbar for so long, he is one of my favorite poets that I've followed from his chapbook and Divedapper dayAdmittedly biased because I have loved Kaveh Akbar for so long, he is one of my favorite poets that I've followed from his chapbook and Divedapper days, I've been waiting for this novel for so long and might have *actually* screamed when I spotted the ARC of this nonchalantly sitting in the corner, AS THOUGH WAITING JUST FOR ME *CUE DRAMATIC INTERLUDE OF DESTINY*
Akbar's prose isn't poetic, the way say Ocean Vuong's prose is, but it has a strong impact on a story that is somehow both structured and meandering. I appreciated the inclusion of the real-life tragedy of Iranian Flight 655, a civilian aircraft that was shot down by U.S. air missiles in 1988. I suspect not a lot of people know about it, so the inclusion feels important. It's a book about mental health and addiction that somehow isn't depressing, just an examination of a search for meaning in life and, perhaps more importantly, in death. It's an ambitious novel that isn't perfect, and not everything it sets out to do works, but I truly enjoyed it for that ambition and as a great start to Akbar's hopefully ongoing prose career....more
I predict this collection will go very far and reach a wide audience. It's extremely accessible and powerful and smartly accompanied by a tr3.75 stars
I predict this collection will go very far and reach a wide audience. It's extremely accessible and powerful and smartly accompanied by a translation that honestly persuaded me to purchase the book (and my Spanish is rusty at best)....more
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