A review of Prétend by Arielle Burgdorf
Compulsive Reader
by Magdalena Ball
3d ago
I love this book. It is located at the crossroads (if not terminus) of cultural appropriation, mistranslation, gender and identity fluidity. Carrère's fake identity novel, the brilliantly glib aspersions of Nightwood -- all this and more are revivified in Arielle Burgdorf's masterful take on identity in an increasingly amorphous world. Read more ..read more
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A review of Father Verses Sons: A Correspondence in Poems by Herbert Gold
Compulsive Reader
by Magdalena Ball
1w ago
he family obviously draws on a wealth of literary references, there are e. e. cummings inspired parenthesis that litter the pages as well as nods to Shakespeare (I sleep, I dream) and Keats (ode to a cam girl). Spending time with the other denizens of the Cafe Trieste during the 80s surely rubbed off on him. But Herbert wears his influences on his sleeve, not for him the stream of consciousness of Ginsberg or the surrealness of Kerouac, instead we get the Sysyphean verses. Read more ..read more
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A review of The Dinner Party by Colleen Keating
Compulsive Reader
by Magdalena Ball
1w ago
In The Dinner Party Keating brings to light what for centuries has been ignored: the power and strength of women. Keating resuscitates the experience of women in this book. Her poetry traces the lives of women who demonstrated their influence, broke barriers, gave their lives for others, were oppressed or defied patriarchy.  Read more ..read more
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A review of Red Milk by Sjón
Compulsive Reader
by Magdalena Ball
1w ago
Though I can understand, and perhaps even entertain, Sjón's intentions regarding his latest work, I think that both the writing style and characterization seem a bit too simplistic, falling flat in the end and leaving the reader feeling that this could be much more intriguing if the Icelandic wordsmith followed his traditional recipe, creating sentences that urge you to read them aloud in order to bask in their brilliance. Read more ..read more
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Invasion Without Malice: A Review of Lanternfly August by Robin Gow
Compulsive Reader
by Magdalena Ball
1w ago
These poems are rich in nature-language like thorax, legs, forest, ribs, and peach pits. So it’s fitting that this book reminds me of a tree with roots ensnared in the earth. Yet, there is also an edge of brisk oddity that brings to mind the uppermost branches of a tree, swung wildly about by a strong wind. Examples of this oddity include, what kind of metal sleep you take? and I used to want to be a dinner plate so badly. Read more ..read more
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Life’s Battle Sites: On Xochitl-Julisa Bermejo’s Incantations: Love Poems for Battle Sites
Compulsive Reader
by Magdalena Ball
2w ago
The San Gabriel Mission is just one of the many battle sites that make up Bermejo’s new poetry collection Incantation: Love Poems for Battle Sites, exploring the internal and external concerns about the current state of fear and chaos in America and how past unresolved fear and chaos can still haunt us. Read more ..read more
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A review of Boat Girl by Melanie Neale
Compulsive Reader
by Magdalena Ball
2w ago
From the day she was born Melanie was certain how fell about the boat. Melanie knew she “fell in love with the 47’ fiberglass sailboat the day I came aboard from the hospital” (Neale 1).  She continued to share a deep connection with the boat as she aged, she spent most of her life on it, the bond and memories that came from those experiences stayed with her till the end of the memoir. Read more ..read more
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New giveaway!
Compulsive Reader
by Magdalena Ball
2w ago
We have a copy of Ghost Poetry by Robbie Coburn to give away! To win, sign up for our Free Newsletter on the right-hand side of the site and enter via the newsletter. Winner will be chosen by the end of March from subscribers who enter via the newsletter. Good luck! Read more ..read more
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Fierce Love: A Review of If Some God Shakes Your House by Jennifer Franklin
Compulsive Reader
by Magdalena Ball
2w ago
There is so much pain in this collection that it is hard to bear. What makes the reader continue is the poet’s ability to encompass so much in each poem. Whether it’s the varied content, as illustrated in the poems described above, or the raw emotion she conveys as she stares directly at life and its inevitable end, her work must be read. Read more ..read more
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A Review of The Only Living Girl on Earth by Charles Yu
Compulsive Reader
by Magdalena Ball
2w ago
Piece by piece, the stories unfold to reveal the reasons Earth was left behind in the first place. The artificial intelligence (AI) system in charge of geoengineering disrupted the planet's food sources, and humans, persevering as they are, took off to pursue life on other planets. Meanwhile, Jane is not as preoccupied as others are about the meaning of life; instead, she's spending hours at The Earth Gift Shop pondering her life. Read more ..read more
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