The question is can I get 250 words out about this short story? I think so, I definitely think it’s worth reading and I want to talk about it, plus I’ve been thinking about it ever since I finished so there’s something here. Carrie Vaughn is one of my favorite writers, but she’s one I forget is one of my favorite writers if that makes sense. She’s not flashy or showy, but she reliably writes some of the most enjoyable stories. I really ought to […]
Bonus review: Happy New Year!
I know I said yesterday that number 134 was going to be my last review of the year, but that was before I remembered that there was a Rainbow Rowell short story out there in the world that I hadn’t read. Also, it has it’s own entry on Goodreads, so even though it’s part of a bigger anthology, My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories (eleven of which I have yet to read), I don’t feel reviewing it is cheating. 135 is a […]
Shirley Jackson is the divine goddess of the bizarre and horrifying.
When I was in college, I read Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery” as part of my twentieth-century literature survey. A good deal of the class was shocked by it. I thought the conceit was *genius.* When I taught a narrative unit in my Comp. I class about three years ago, I decided to include “The Lottery” and pair it with the Reaping scene from The Hunger Games. My students were electrified. They were simultaneously horrified by the concept and curious to see its echoes […]
You know what I, as Rowell’s newest and biggest fan, am going to say.
This is actually a short story, published in the book My True Love Gave to Me. It tells the story of Mags and Noel. They are best friends, transitioning between adolescence and adulthood. The story is told over four New Years Eve midnights, where they party in a friend’s basement. Their meetings are chaotic, and the two circle one another, holding tight to their friendship. They aren’t involved with one another, but they are drawn indelibly to a shared connection. This is the kind of love […]
Oh, Baby….
Paula Bomer spoke at my MFA last August and I’ve wanted to read some of her work for a while after listening to her presentation. Since her work is ridiculously funny while also being incredibly deep, I thought this would be a nice follow-up to Rachel Cusk’s memoir on motherhood, and it did not disappoint! Bomer is as funny and deep in her writing as she was in person. This short story collection focuses on the many facets of dysfunction that can (and often do) […]
Murder in a grove / Unreliable viewpoints / Mifune will rise
While technically a short story, I think this still qualifies for the Cannonball. If graphic novels count, then I’m including this. And I’m a bit of an iconoclast, so there. This classic of Japanese literature formed the basis for the iconic Akira Kurosawa movie, Rashomon. It tells the story of a young man’s murder via the viewpoints of seven different individuals, ranging from the woodcutter who found the body to the spirit of the victim, himself (via a medium). That fairly well sums up the […]
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