Between two high notes The melody gives a crack Long enough To allow my entire selfhood to enter Like a fish jumping back Into the night water
My Crows; Monody to the Murmuring Mountain; Clefting; On My Birthday & Off
Berta Isla by Javier Marias
Those who love the country of books and the provinces of language, as Javier Marais clearly does, will love this book.
The Awakening of Meena Rawat
I cherish our easy relationship, but I could never keep it going if I lost my job. Sadness squeezes around me like shrink-wrap. I can’t imagine a situation in which my husband would happily let me go off to meet my friend for drinks or dinner in the evening.
Iris Rising
And the biggest change of the last few months is the lack of a straight narrative flow. Wouldn’t that be nice? A happens, and then B, leading naturally to C. Beginnings. Endings. No aimless detours, stuttering repeats or sudden U-turns. A storyline one could count on. It would be logical, and kind.
Oscar Cásares Talks About “Where We Come From”
Dennis: Thanks very much, Oscar, for talking about Where We Come From. It’s a textually rich book. There’s a lot happening on each page and your characters have an exceptional memorability. Let’s start with the title. Who is “We”? Who is included in that word? And are they coming from a place or a state of mind? If so, what is it? People who are coming from somewhere are going somewhere. Where is that?
Pauls’ Epistles
The endings of the two songs reflect different directions: future and past. Paul M.’s protagonist makes another jaunty request to his partner: “Send me a postcard, drop me a line . . . .” He is planning for life in the future. But Paul S. warns: “Preserve your memories, they’re all that’s left you.”