Surprising, insightful collection
341350
Recently, our community library hosted a reading of Joanne Sheehy Hoover's newest book of poetry.  One could almost hear music as Joanne read from selections honoring life's journey.

Two poems in this collection struck me so deeply that I had to buy my own copy as well as one for the library.  In "The Iris Flower", I loved the statement "you surprise away my regret".  Her poem, "Everywhere Praises God" sounded like a lovely psalm: "Everywhere sings God.....Everything whispers God.....Everything moves toward God....".  The audience appreciated these heartfelt messages so much that everyone listening purchased a copy or two after the reading.  It should be included in all poetry collections.
951628
BUTTER BROWN is a collection of sixteen short stories written by Torrance Stephens.  The stories take place in a variety of settings both in North America and Africa, are told from the first person point of view, and cover a broad range of subjects and themes.  They are emotionally intense, political, at times erotic, and urge the reader to reflect on the subtleties of the content.  One of my favorites, "Shannon and the Maharaja," is unique in that it is told from a woman's perspective.  Maharaja in Hindu means great king, and in the very brief story, the narrator relates her experience with a man whom she initially thinks has very little to offer; later however, she realizes that he taught her more than she could have ever anticipated.  Another favorite was "The Police State," a story about a man who fought in the Vietnam War, only to return home and have a hard time supporting himself.  He resorts to cleaning windows as a means of survival, but finds that he is the target of harassment from police.  Like most of the others in the collection, the literal meaning is interesting, but upon further reflection of the language and symbolism the stories take on a deeper, more satisfying meaning.

BUTTER BROWN not only showcases Torrance Stephens' abilities as a writer, but also his broad range of personal experiences and familiarity with other cultures, both national and international.  In each story, the settings, though diverse, are presented with an intimacy that reflects the author's knowledge of the various cultural nuances.  This is noted not only in the descriptive use of language, but also through his use of colloquialisms unique to a certain area.  Fortunately for those less traveled, he includes definitions and other helpful information in the footnotes.  The only real shortfall of the book was in the area of characterization.  It seemed as if Stephens had created two prototypes, one for the male characters and the other for the female characters and simply changed the name of the characters in each story.  The similarity among the characters in the different stories was so confusing that it took away from the overall collection.  Still, it is obvious the author is a talented writer, with a unique style and a lot to say.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay

of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers
3687679
Full disclosure: I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Driving through a neighborhood, looking at the houses you pass by, do you ever stop and wonder about the lives of those who live there? Looking from the outside in, we never know about the problems people face, whether their lives are mundane or full of excitement and tension, what their desires and regrets are, and what drives them forward.

Lauren Acampora's intriguing, well-written collection of linked stories, The Wonder Garden, strives to give us insight into the lives of strangers, as she focuses on the residents of Old Cranbury, a well-heeled suburb not far from Manhattan. From John, the home inspector whose intense attention to detail in his professional life hasn't seemed to translate into his personal life; to Madeleine, whose life is upended when her husband leaves his corporate advertising job to pursue a career as a healer; from Harold, whose fascination with the brain veers into bizarre territory after he forms an alliance of sorts with a surgeon; to Camille, whose frustration with motherhood and life after divorce fuels her desire for a life elsewhere, these stories chronicle hope and disillusionment, happiness and hurt, desires realized and desires thwarted.

Acampora does an excellent job creating a sense of a community, and although it's difficult at first to remember which characters were which as they showed up in future stories, once I did, I enjoyed catching another glimpse of them through the lens of another character or situation. Some of the characters are tremendously flawed, some of them are simply caught up in an unexpected or strange situation, and some are just trying to go about their daily lives.

Among my favorite stories in the collection were: "Ground Fault," which followed a home inspector whose personal life is more in disarray than his professional one, but some spillage is inevitable; "Floortime," about a woman struggling to reach her autistic son and willing to consider any means to do so; "Elevations," about a couple struggling with the separate needs of each person; "The Umbrella Bird," which chronicles a woman who must reconcile a drastic change in her husband; and "Moon Roof," in which a woman's inability to move into traffic underscores issues in the rest of her life.

I really enjoyed this collection and think Acampora is a terrific writer. A few of the stories didn't work for me, either because I found the main character so unlikeable or because I found the premise of the story less interesting, but on the whole this is a really strong collection, and definitely signals the arrival of a fantastic new talent.
1949446
This is a fine collection of some of C.S. Lewis' works which have not received the notoriety of others. That is not to say, however, that the works compiled in this volume are in any way less worthy of attention. From this collection the reader can come to appreciate a broader scope of Lewis' interests and motivations, ranging from theology to war and everything between. As such, this collection serves as a terrific frame of reference for Lewis enthusiasts.

This collection contains The Pilgrim's Regress, Christian Reflections, and God in the Dock. The Pilgrim's Regress certainly stands out as an unusual addition to a collection otherwise made up of essays, articles, and letters. Nonetheless, The Pilgrim's Regress does nothing to detract from the overall compilation as it provides the reader with an opportunity to look behind the curtain with regard to Lewis' own journey. It should be mentioned that both The Pilgrim's Regress and&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Surprised-by-Joy-The-Shape-of-My-Early-Life/dp/0151001855/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life</a>, after having read both, add significantly to one's own understanding of either work, as well as Lewis' early life.

Both Christian Reflections and God in the Dock are themselves collections of shorter works; predominately essays, articles, and letters written by Lewis over the course of his life. Throughout both of these smaller collections one is presented with the situations that presented reoccurring topics and issues which seem to have been the motivation and, in some cases, the starting block for some of Lewis' better known apologetics. Some may even feel as if these shorter essays and articles reflect Lewis' unbridled opinions, as opposed to those which may have been diluted to one degree or the next in the interest of public consumption. That is, both of these collections offer unrestrained truths which one could easily miss if one's reading remained dedicated to this author's better know works alone.

This collection is worth purchasing simply because of the wealth of knowledge contained within it. Beyond this, this collection also presents an opportunity to purchase three of Lewis' works (which could be purchased separately) at a very reasonable price. Considering aspects of content and value (monetary and otherwise), this book is a must buy.
4203069
This book is unexpected and unlike other Thomas Merton writings I'm familiar with. He wrote this collection of reflections on modernity late in his career, when, as he tells us, he had become a different man -

"[People] demand that I remain forever the superficially pious, rather rigid and somewhat narrow-minded young monk I was twenty years ago, and at the same time they continually circulate the rumor that I have left my monastery. What has actually happened is that I have been simply living where I am and developing in my own way ..." (p 172)

"Raids" is hard to classify. It is a collection of essays, poems, parables, and other forms. It is at turns blunt, scathing, poetic, mystical, obscure, inscrutable, and nearly incomprehensible. But always, as with all Merton writings, it is nakedly honest, penetrating, and challenging.

The book contains 13 brief reflections -
1. Asks the question, what do we need?
2. Explores mercy versus determinism.
3. Interpretation of Flannery O'Conner's work, focusing on the idea of "respect".
4. Asks, upon reviewing the career of Adolf Eichmann, what is sanity?
5. Challenges us on the hazards of moral neutrality.
6. On the emptiness of modern society.
7. On Prometheus as hero and villain.
8. On the tension between myth and modern reality (I think).
9. Similar to #8.
10. "Notes for a cosmic meditation."
11. Exploration of the thought of a Sufi contemplative.
12. The modern poet's response to modern absurdity.
13. On what artistic freedom really means.

Each of these, one way or another, forces us out of our comfort zone, to grapple with issues we'd prefer to ignore. Here, Merton seems far more concerned with what we are doing than what we are thinking or feeling. The spirit of the book is summed up well in this passage -

"The true solutions are not those which we force upon life in accordance with our theories, but those which life itself provides for those who dispose themselves to receive the truth ... For since man has decided to occupy the place of God he has shown himself to be by far the blindest, and cruelest, and pettiest and most ridiculous of all the false gods. We can call ourselves innocent only if we refuse to forget this, and if we also do everything we can to make others realize it." (p 61)

The modern world is what it is ... unless we rebel. "Raids" is calling on us to do just that, in just about every way possible. Uncomfortable, but hard to ignore.
951859
When I picked up Walt Harrington's collection of his profiles from the Washington Post Magazine, I'll admit it was rather dutifully (he's going to be speaking at a conference I'm attending), and didn't expect to become such a fan. I brought a prejudice of "just a newspaper article," not expecting the impact of anything born of a such a transient outlet (today's news, tomorrow's fishwrap) to outlast the day, or at best a week. But Harrington raises his sights higher. . . and lower. With one exception (the sensitive portrait of U.S. poet laureate Rita Dove, so evocative of a poet's thought process that I made copies for all my poet friends), he writes about people not normally considered "important" enough to make it into mass circulation. For example, Harrington's humane curiosity portrays the real world struggles between an elderly African-American minister, once strong and dominant, and his daughters who now take care of him, portraying without judgment their struggles with anger, their seeking compassion and not always finding it. Harrington's psychology and insight are amazing as he examines the "ordinary people,extraordinary lives" of his subtitle, such as a couple who has managed to create a marriage in which they equally share the childrearing, or of another couple who have slid into low-level poverty, or the life-changing experience for girls who participate in a competitive high school soccer team. Each of Harrington's subjects seems fascinating from a different vector: the tough streets of D.C. and how they are pulling down a once-stoic vice detective (part thriller, part sociological portrait of an impoverished neighborhood); the life of a man who works tirelessly for the release of death row inmates (an inspiring example of humanity at its best); a study of three generations of women (the groundwater basic impact of family, plus a feminist perspective of the changing attitudes and opportunities for women). With almost every portrait, we both learn about a few individual people we'd likely never have had the opportunity to meet, and we also learn a larger lesson-about the sociology of a section of people, or about the dynamics of family. . . . Also, interestingly, eight of the 14 portraits focus on African-American individuals or families, even tho Harrington is white. Harrington is deft enough that I don't think I would have known whether he himself was white or black if not for his author's photo. I didn't get any sense of finger-pointing at his African-American subjects, although I'm also white, so may not pick up on the same cues as black readers. On the face of it, Harrington's color blindedness seems laudable, and mostly creates in me a curiosity about what draws him to African-American subjects.
4572291
What piqued my curiosity with this book was a blog post I saw online, which mentioned the short stories in this collection were inspired by a set of photographs. The photographs are certainly breathtakingly beautiful, and the reader can expect the unexpected with each of the authors' stories!

That one author resides in the UK while the other resides in the US gives the collection a nice contrast--enough contrast for the respective stories to stand apart from each other, but not so much contrast that it is jarring.

It is not just the first one or two stories that start off with a bang--the high level of impact and engagement continues to the fifth story and onwards! I like how the collection began with Ocean's Song, which is a short piece with a very tender, touching message (bittersweet, I would say). Other favourites include Gently Down the Stream (a psychological piece where the character's "past deed" catches up with him); Blowin' in the Wind (where there's a fine line between love and insanity); On the Road (showcasing the negative effects of stardom), and the last two stories.

These stories, along with the gorgeous photography, are bound to chill, thrill, soothe and shock--a very enticing mix.
2098689
How much one likes this probably depends on whether one was expecting an integrated narrative--which this book is not, and does not purport to be--or a collection of largely self-standing pieces that were illuminating in their own right.

I was expecting an anthology, and I think that this one is both highly accessible and, by and large, first rate.  I like the fact that there are a lot of different voices, different understandings of the project at hand, and different writing styles.  The net result is that this is both an enjoyable collection (insofar as pieces about the national disaster that was the Civil War can be described that way) and a powerful one.

Those who are less-versed in writing about the Civil War and more interested in a single volume might gainfully begin with Drew Gilpin Faust's work.
3479969
A delightful collection, a fresh batch of 'belighted' modern fiction, the editor - and contributor - is Eckhard Gerdes, author of the recent "My Landlady the Lobotomist".  Including a "parrotie, criticism, and fictional experimentation,
be prepared to be surprised by these ten offerings!
3383975
"The Penguin Book of International Women's Stories," edited by Kate Figes, is an anthology with a truly global sweep.  Authors from every continent except Antarctica are represented.  The stories represent a healthy variety of approaches--humor, horror, fairy tale, the grotesque, satire, realism, etc.  There is also an excellent variety in terms of story length, ranging from a 50-page entry to stories of only 4 pages, with a nice mix of lengths in between.  At over 460 pages long, it's a hefty collection.
I'll mention a few of the highlights.  "The Jewess," by Irene Dische of Germany: About a German-American's trip to Germany to deal with his inheritance, this is a disturbing piece that deals with family history, Jewish identity, and the shadow of the Nazi era.  "Nineteen Fifty-Five," by Alice Walker of the USA: About the relationship between an African-American female singer-songwriter and a white male performer, this is an interesting meditation on art and creativity.  "A Wilderness Station," by Alice Munro of Canada: The story of a frontier wife, told in fragments from multiple voices.  One of the longer selections, it's a fascinating and richly peopled story.  "Distant View of a Minaret," by Alifa Rifaat of Egypt: Compact but deliciously ironic glimpse inside a marriage in Cairo.  "In the Family," by Maria Elena Llano of Cuba: Macabre, witty, and humorous tale about a mirror with a supernatural power.  "Broken Transformers," by Bi Shumin of China: a very down-to-earth story about the impact of an expensive child's toy on a financially struggling Chinese family.
There are many other memorable stories; other countries represented include Russia, Botswana, Japan, France, Australia, and others.  A rich variety of themes are covered.  I really enjoyed this book and recommend it for college courses, book discussion groups, or individual reading.
876252
There are a few clunkers, but most of this anthology is clever and insightful, and comforting, and even is a few cases brilliant.
1934334
This collection is beautiful to behold, with well written, insightful short essays throughout. A fascinating look at a swath of far Left concerns and aesthetics of the era. For a certain (perhaps niche) subset, this is the ideal coffee table book.
3572210
A very insightful, moving, and impactful collection. I will be able to re-read these works and Im sure they will have a different impact depending upon where I am in life. Something to keep forever!
4653287
Wow, I've only scratched the surface on this collection and already I am knocked out by what I've found.  As always, Delphi has done a masterful job of collecting and presenting an author's work.  Here we get to pry into the mind of Chesterton, who was sharper than anyone writing at the beginning of the Twentieth Century.  His insight is fascinating, and in this collection you get to browse through many of his essays, shorts stories and novels.  (I don't think it is all of his essays, since the man is credited with publishing about five thousand of them!)
524218
A lovely, dark collection of stories. Horrocks has an amazing ability with tiny detailsshe pins down the strange, subtle and totally unexpected details. In the title story, a foreigner is told that says money in United States cities looks like jogging clothes and stylish glassesone of those bizarre but spot on descriptions. In another story, a classroom pet rat has a tumora strange detail that becomes symbolic of the impending disaster of the story.

The collection is unflinching. The stories don't shy away from the difficulties and darkness of being a child or parent or traveler. But it is in this accuracy of detail that makes them so worthwhile. It weaves darkness into the mundane, the everyday.
945408
I wasn't entirely sure what to expect when I ordered this book. I'd gotten some good word of mouth and had always had an open mind about surrealist works, but this took the cake. No, seriously, I sometimes had no idea what was going on, and yet the stories are cohesively themed. This collection of short stories demands multiple read-throughs and perhaps something to clarify the mind.
2545459
This past spring, Danielle Evans was one of the many great authors who appeared at my college's Literary Festival, and she gave a reading of a newer story that she was working on which sounded awesome. I hadn't read her work prior to her appearance, unfortunately, so I couldn't talk to her about it. But I've made my way through her debut collection, and I have a very high opinion of it.

"Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self" is a collection that dares to go to some territory that might be unpleasant or uncomfortable for some readers, but it does so with an assured voice and style driving all the way. Most of the stories deal in some way or another with biracial characters (a group that certainly has gained more media attention as the years have gone on. My favorite show on TV right now is "Key & Peele," which features two biracial comedians). The stories are universal in some ways, and specific to the biracial identity (or quest for an identity, be it one or the other of the races involved), and many of them are heartbreaking in the way that the main character or narrator struggles to find themselves (and how often they come up just short). A war veteran tries to connect with an ex through her daughter, with unintended results. A biracial woman recounts the summer she spent in the company of her white relatives, and the distances that can still exist between family when prejudice is involved. A woman and her father try to have lunch together without letting the past get in the way. A man eager to avoid Thanksgiving with his parents allows himself to go home anyway, accompanied by his sister.

One of the reviewers complained about the abruptness of some of the stories, how they seem to end without any resolution. I happen to think that, when an ending (even an unhappy one) isn't merited by all that has gone before, the abrupt ending lasts with the reader far longer. Miss Evans has perfected the art of "leaving the reader wanting more," which is a compliment when the story that ends so abruptly had such an impact before then. This is a fantastic collection that readers of short fiction will enjoy and be touched by. I can't wait to read what Danielle Evans does next.