No time to write about not having time to write...
dream or nightmare, nightmare or dream, at least we can still read books
Books are respite when everything is chaos and too much. If they’re done well enough, they trap the world between covers. Can you even imagine? One of my many magical thinkings about this era of danger and anger is that we all fell asleep together in March of 2020, and we are yet to wake up. That’s not nearly as good of a story as the books I’ve read lately. If you haven’t had a chance to listen to the most recent episodes of Totally Biased Reviews, there’s a portal to a new world for everyone. Here are the last four we’ve produced:
Mothers and Other Fictional Characters by Nicole Graev Lipson
In this extraordinary essay collection, the author explores motherhood via literature and literary figures. It’s a delicious read, and it gives me hope that the big 5 will start producing and promoting more essay collections.
You, From Below by Em J Parsley
In this slim novella, the speaker travels up an Appalachian mountain to deliver a letter after their town is destroyed. It’s lyric and luscious and totally possible to read in one sitting.
Forgive the Animal by Sarah Pape
This poetry collection is as luminous as it is gritty, covering themes of connection and disconnection through class and how specific and striking hurts can reverberate through a life.
Python With a Dog Inside It by Max McDonough
Brutal and gorgeous, this poetry collection offers cinematic hinges for its lyrical beats, documenting two young brothers contending with a rural life and complex caregivers.
Stay safe yall. My spring craft newsletter is coming later this week. If you’re looking for new ways to stay as calm as possible in the middle of this storm, check out my recent article on Washington Post about using your voice to calm down.
xo