+ books, Ellen Meister, fiction, novel, reading
I am extremely fortunate to have received an advanced review copy of Ellen Meister‘s soon-to-be-released and breathtakingly great new novel, The Other Life. I can’t wait for the book to be released and for the rest of the reading public to join me in celebrating this beautiful book. Before I had a child, I often wondered what it would be like to have one … Read More The Other Life, by Ellen Meister
On October 2nd (two days from now) at 2PM, I’ll be reading at Newtonville Books Small Press Saturday. Here are the details: Sat, Oct 2, 2PM: Small Press Saturday with Ampersand Books, Dzanc Books, Madras Press, Rose Metal Press, and Small Anchor Press. Join us as we celebrate independent publishing with the editors and contributors to these fine presses: Ampersand Books: Benjamin Lowenkron will … Read More Reading / Newtonville Books / Small Press Saturday / Oct. 2 @ 2PM
+ books, bookstore, event, literary, literary festival, literary journal, New England, reading, small press, writers
Saturday, September 18, 2010 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm I’ll be at the Salem Literary Festival, where I’m delighted to be among the readers for Quick Fiction’s Utter Amazement: Meet us at Gulu Gulu for a phenomenal line-up of readers whose work has appeared in the literary journal Quick Fiction, including Steve Almond, Brian Evenson, Kim Chinquee, Myfanwy Collins, Michael Thurston, and William Walsh. … Read More Upcoming Readings
+ books, literary, Matthew M. Quick, novel, reading, storytelling, writers, writing books, young adult
This one is for all of the kids who live outside the edge of normal, all of the kids who have secrets behind what their faces show at school each day, all of the kids who have been picked on, and especially for all of the kids who when faced with the worst, offer up their best. This one is for all of you … Read More Sorta Like A Rock Star, by Matthew Quick
I worried through the entirety of my pregnancy. How, I fretted, could I bring a child into this world? How could I protect him? What did he have to look forward to but melting ice caps, tsunamis, wild fires, genocide, floods, hurricanes, drought, war, war, war, serial killers, crazed gunmen in schools, bullies, etc. Now that I am a parent, I realize I can’t … Read More Everything Matters! by Ron Currie Jr.
I first encountered the work of Mary Mill when I was guest editor for SmokeLong Quarterly and my friend Katrina Denza suggested I check out her writing. I did and asked her to submit for the issue. She sent us this: A Blind Dog Named Killer and a Colony of Bees. All this is to say that before I even cracked the spine of … Read More Big World, by Mary Miller
It’s not surprising to me that I loved Steward O’Nan’s Last Night at the Lobster; he’s one of my favorite writers, after all, and this books stands out for me among the many books of his I love. It’s not only a book with a lot of heart; it’s also a book that is timely–as 2009 is said to be the year that many … Read More Last Night at the Lobster, by Stewart O’Nan
I read Anne Enright’s The Gathering (Man Booker Prize) slowly. I had to. If I had not, the pain would have been insurmountable. Even so, the pain was there, a dull throb. If you have ever grieved (which we nearly all have or will at some point in our lives), then this book will speak to you. Directly, honestly. If you have ever grieved a … Read More The Gathering, by Anne Enright
Philadelphia is not only the home of the quintessentially American Liberty Bell, cheese steak, and Rocky, but now Philadelphia offers us another American original: Pat Peoples, the neurologically-damaged, ex-wife pining, mother-loving, uber Eagles fan protagonist of Matthew Quick’s dazzling debut novel The Silver Linings Playbook. You might think that a book about a guy who has lost so much–his wife, his home, his job, … Read More The Silver Linings Playbook, by Matthew Quick
+ books, Ellen Meister, fiction, novel, writers
My mother always told me, “Friends may come and go, but a sister is forever.” She had six sisters, so she knew what she was talking about. My father had four sisters and I have three. I grew up in a world of sisters and feel like I have a pretty good handle on sisterhood, and so does Ellen Meister. At the core of … Read More The Smart One, by Ellen Meister
+ books, fiction, flash fiction, Kathy Fish, literary, Pia Ehrhardt, small press, storytelling, writers
I’m delighted to direct your attention to my review of A Peculiar Feeling of Restlessness: Four Chapbooks of Short Short Fiction by Four Women over at Quick Fiction. I loved the book and so will you. So please do order yourself a copy. I promise you will be captivated.
+ books, memoir, nonfiction, writers
The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls A deeply moving, unforgettable memoir of a truly hard-scrabble life. What I admire most about this book is that Jeannette Walls never paints her family as victims. Nor does she portray her unbearably narcissistic parents as evil (even though it would certainly be easy to do so–her drunken father, her childlike mother. Oh, how I was … Read More The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls
myfanwy collins 