by Emily Oppenheimer

Things to Do When You’re Goth in the Country & Other Stories — Chavisa Woods

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“The country” has always held a dominant place in the stories that America tells about itself, imbued with popular understandings of national identity, character, and history.

Never Goodnight – Coco Moodysson

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Moodysson so accurately nails the conflicting tones of preteen anxiety and exuberance that even the sweetly childish games the girls play may be read as personal and somewhat embarrassing.

Tender Points – Amy Berkowitz

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In this short but expansive book which reads sometimes like poetry, sometimes like philosophy, and always like resistance, Berkowitz encourages us to become authoritative about our own experiences.

The Outer Harbour – Wayde Compton

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Without the rubric of race and ethnicity applied, she is unclassifiable, and therefore both powerful and vulnerable.

Octavia’s Brood – Walidah Imarisha and adrienne maree brown

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What if what we’ve been conditioned to see as our weaknesses were in fact our greatest strengths? How do we deal effectively with conflict without contributing to an ongoing cycle of violence?

Dust – Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor

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Descriptions of the rural landscape mirror those of the characters’ inner lives; it is barren and brittle, then gives way to wind and fire on a moment’s notice.

This Is the Garden – Giulio Mozzi

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If only Tana could truly know another person, she need not learn that even heaven on earth itself cannot eliminate the human feeling of fracture.

A Guide To Being Born – Ramona Ausubel

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These are fleshy fictions rooted in reality, miraculous bodies that produce and become disused like every other.

Libraries Ancient, Real, and Mostly Imagined

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A short discussion about San Antonio’s new bookless library with The Library at Night, by Alberto Manguel, using only quotes from the text itself.

Literary Television vs. Literature on TV

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The implicit contrast of the acclaimed “Dickensian” shows is that of reality TV, but a reality TV show featuring competitive author performances could flip that construction on its head.