Two Extraordinary Books: Bullets into Bells and Inquisition
The obscenities and tragedies of American life pile up with speed, and in quantities, that are appalling.
Reviews
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Hero and Villain: Emily Pérez’s House of Sugar, House of Stone
How hard it is to trust the difference between sacrifice and sabotage!
Holding Herself Up: Amy Dresner’s My Fair Junkie
It’s hard to build a life, no matter who you are, Dresner suggests.
A Kind of Communal History: Nepantla edited by Christopher Soto
Fundamentally, [Nepantla] is an act of history-making in verse.
A Tiny Wellspring of Comfort: Nina Riggs’s The Bright Hour
[Nina] is not a warrior but a reconnoiter at life’s edge.
Reinventing the World: José Olivarez’s Citizen Illegal
If they come for one of us, they will come for us all.
A Haunted Reality: Jac Jemc’s The Grip of It
The narration isn’t dispassionate, but there’s a distance.
With Great Devotion: Julie Marie Wade’s Same-Sexy Marriage
Ultimately, this is a story in which redemption is not a possibility.
A Façade of a Woman: R.O. Kwon’s The Incendiaries
It is incredible to crack open an American novel and wince upon seeing parts of yourself reflected back so strikingly.
Bearing Witness: Because: A Lyric Memoir by Joshua Mensch
Because is a call for more stories with specifics so well-rendered.
A Community of the People: Tommy Orange’s There There
THERE THERE does not settle, it unsettles.