Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec Poses His Mother for a Portrait
Let the tea cup
hold your attention.
Do not dare to raise your chin.
Three Poems by Mary Lou Maloney
Girl with Ice Cream
It had been a rough summer; they had tried to sell the house, beginning in the spring, but had failed. Priscilla wanted to lower the price and move on, he would have just as soon stayed if no one met the price they’d agreed on, and so they sank into a state of silent hostility. If she brought it up he’d remind her that they had a deal; he didn’t want to talk about it, which she took correctly to mean he didn’t want to leave, didn’t want to do the thing that would make her happy.
A Conversation With Molly Knight
Ostensibly, Molly Knight and I are the same.
We both grew up watching sports and, to varying degrees, make our living doing just that to this day. We both enjoy writing books and our moms were very proud of us when our first ones were released. We both have roommates that have Twitter accounts that are also really, really big baseball fans.
The Vegetarian by Han Kang, translated from the Korean by Deborah Smith
My problem in reviewing this novel is I can’t figure out what to say. The story of Yeong-hye, who decides to stop eating any food that comes from animals after having a dream, is so brutal and heartbreaking. It left me drained and reeling.
All Involved by Ryan Gattis
Sometimes a work of fiction absolutely does make good on the promise to bring us to another world. And sometimes a novel can make a reader see the world through fresh eyes. New to paperback, Ryan Gattis’ All Involved delivers both as it brings us to a place and culture that few of us can ever know.
Pain
Three forceful knocks on the door of Joe’s Tavern are unacknowledged. Joyful voices and laughter are heard inside. The knocking starts again and doesn’t stop until someone near the door decides to see what’s going on.