I realize that, if the purpose of this column is to surface works its readers haven’t immediately heard of, picking the most recent Booker Prize winner misses the mark. That said, Paul Lynch’s Prophet Song is just that good. More critically, it’s an important artifact pointing up the exhaustion of the threadbare neoliberal consensus that dominates much of “developed” democracy.
As a writer, I’ve always held a particular fascination for children’s books. In my opinion, there’s much to be admired in their simplicity. I feel that anyone can fit meaning into hundreds of thousands of words, but when you’re limited to 30-60k, the lines written must be shaved down to their bitterest and most potent form.
It was when she turned 24. She finally stopped being an asshole and reached out to me.” As Scott’s saying this, swirling his scotch around in the tumbler, Danny looks out towards the view beyond the double-height, plate glass windows — the 270 degree expanse of Tokyo at sunset, with the pale, pink and white silhouette of Mount Fuji looming in the background.
A Coffin full of Books
Bohumil Hrabal’s ninety-eight page novel Too Loud a Solitude opens with the following two sentences: “For thirty-five years now I’ve been in wastepaper, and it’s my love story. For thirty-five years I’ve been compacting wastepaper and books…”
Content note: brief mention of past domestic violence.
"Fun fact. Ready?” Pauline leans forward and the elbows in her worn Carhartt jacket stretch tight.
My leg’s bouncing. We’ve been getting on, me and Pauline, so I say of course I’m ready. Shoot.
“More bees than men have gone to outer space.” She watches my face.
Content note: mild violence, strong undercurrent of violence
They agreed that birthdays were ridiculous once you got past thirteen. Ditto Christmas. Instead, they developed a system of generalized reciprocity — a two-person Kula Ring, Amelia called it — swapping gifts only on holidays like Shrove Tuesday or St. Patrick’s Day.
"Water" by Noah Sparrow
You and your boyfriend Ethan are having dinner tonight at your place and tonight you’ve got a serious talk planned. It’s your first real relationship, so you’re a little nervous — but everything will be fine! Probably, at least.
Simple Power: Representation and Resilience in Denison Avenue
Denison Avenue, Christina Wong and Daniel Innes. ECW Press, 2023.
“Lay mang mang, ah See Heeei,” Mrs. Wong’s voice rang out. (Take your time.)
Love and Demons thom vernon's review of Pervatory by RM Vaughan. Coach House Books, 2023.
In Pervatory, the posthumously published last novel by the spectacularly talented RM Vaughan (Richard Murray Vaughan), the iconic queer multi-hyphenate (think novelist, poet, filmmaker, critic, essayist, playwright, and visual artist — squirrel saloons made of pizza...
Editorial Assistant Jamie Kitt's Interview with Clea Young whose story "In Loco Parentis" was published in Issue 299 (Spring 2024)
— Clea Young’s stories have appeared in three volumes of The Journey Prize Stories, and she has twice been shortlisted for the award. Her first collection, Teardown, was published in 2016 with Freehand Books. Her second collection, Welcome to the Neighbourhood, is forthcoming with House of Anansi Press in 2025.
