"Bead on an Anthill" by Delphine Red Shirt (1997)

SPOILERS AHEAD

There are many reasons to appreciate this memoir: the descriptions, the heart, the incorporation of Lakota culture and language. More than anything, this memoir feels like a collection of journal entries with added translations. The memoir is set up chronologically from when Red Shirt was a child through adolescence, teenagehood, and finally, adulthood. For each stage, Red Shirt reflects on how she was treated by her community based on her age, but also how she interacted with her own culture. In the first few chapters, Red Shirt is predominantly apathetic about Lakota language and culture, only to later participate in cultural practices later on that once bored her as a child (for example, the Sun Dance). These details function to show more than her relationship to her family and ancestors, it’s how the reader can follow her maturation into who she is currently.

Cyclicality, grief, and language are all recurring themes throughout the memoir. Even from the beginning chapter, “Bead on an Anthill,” the reader sees how reciprocity infiltrates all areas of Red Shirt’s life. She’s kind to the ants and in return, she is able to harvest beads that the carry back to their hill. Language can be wrapped up in a general “culture” theme, however, as a historically oral culture, it seems a bit too broad to do so. The Lakota language is slowly dying, which Red Shirt reflects upon when her grandfather passes, so Red Shirt’s use (and increased use as the narrative progresses, most seen in her “Waṡicuia ya he? Do you speak English?” chapter) and expansion of her own Lakota vocabulary extends beyond her. Red Shirt’s use of language in this book is a way to ensure that some Lakota language survives. Language also serves as a device to show the ironic “othering” that occurs with Indigenous populations. Though her ancestors have occupied these lands for centuries, she is often treated like an immigrant off the reservation, many of these moments are centered on communication. Speaking with accents, not having a full grasp of the English language going to school, not understanding English nuances (sarcasm, for example) are all ways Red Shirt looks at “belonging” in a neocolonial context.

Perhaps the most broad theme is one of grief. Red Shirt grieves for friends, immediate and extended family, land, culture, and language. Red Shirt also grieves for what she was never able to know, what was taken from her and her people before she was born. The aftermath of colonization permeates every pore of the narrative as she writes about life on the reservation, seeing sacred lands disgraced or claimed by the U.S. government, depression, isolation, and alcoholism (which leads to the death of her own sister). Red Shirt writes of an experience that relies on the idea of cyclicality to survive. The only way these things are not gone forever is when she is able to tie in the beliefs of cyclicality and reciprocity from her culture. It’s her honesty about loss and grief that makes the memoir have that “journal-y” feel.

While these language and cultural touchstones are pivotal to making the memoir work (not to mention core to Red Shirt’s being which is obviously important for a memoir), she tends to have a lot of moments that are repetitive. The effect of redefining the same words and phrases throughout the text (which is already quite short) is how it slows down the narrative to a crawl. I think that footnotes could have taken this memoir from a 3 out of 5 to a 4 out of 5 stars with ease. That being said, since it is a shorter memoir, it’s worth getting through the slow moments to see what Red Shirt has to share with her readers.

"Vida" by Patricia Engel (2010)

One of the things I admire most about this book is Engel's decision to not translate her inclusion of Spanish. This made me reflect on Anzaldúa's use of Spanish in the same way or Red Shirt's choice to always translate Lakota, even after a definition had been given.

Where Red Shirt's narrative began to feel bogged down as the translations were repeated throughout the book, Engel does an excellent job at keeping the center plot moving without rushing through important details or character development.

The book is organized in primarily in chronological order following the protagonist, Sabina, as she navigates growing into herself through a variety of romantic, platonic, and familial relationships. The last story is the only standout as not being chronological, though it mirrors the first story, "Lucho" in a lot of ways: Sabina forms relationships with people that no one else wants to deal with outside of the person's romantic capabilities/availability until meeting an unfortunate and untimely end of their current existence in a motor accident.

The setup for the structure is very similar to Cisneros' House on Mango Street as there are many stories where the central character is not Sabina, but the person she's forming a bond with (most notably in the titular story/chapter "Vida" but also in the first story "Lucho" is when this stands out most to me in memory). The result of this is a touchstone (Sabina) for the reader as they see what being an immigrant or first-generation American can mean for someone's existence/survival.

The book seems to exist in a liminal space. Sabina never really figures out who she is or where she belongs (a theme most explored in the final story as she returns to Columbia and receives criticism, paralleling the bullying she received growing up in the U.S.). Sabina exists in the in-between in her relationships, her geographical location (bouncing between NYC, Jersey, and Miami most frequently), and most of all, her identity. Though I followed this character and her relationships for the 179 pages that make up this book, I came away knowing very little about Sabina specifically. I mostly remember how the setting and other characters impacted her and revealed hidden truths (a call-back to "Lucho" where she references peeling Lucho's onion while getting to know each other). It's this disconnect from the protagonist (also seen in Cisnero's book) that lends itself more to a collection of stories than a novel. Just as I cannot remember anything about the protagonist of Mango Street I doubt I will remember anything about Sabina in a few weeks.

"Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall" by Kazuo Ishiguro (2009)

SPOILERS AHEAD

Ishiguro's collection is a marvel as a learning writer. His ability to incorporate audio in prose is fluid and inspirational. Most authors tend to either get too into the weeds of writing about music (isolating a non-musician) or end up mentioning a beat or artist's name. Still, somehow Ishiguro was able to *embody* what it feels like to listen to music.

No character outshines the other, no plot overshadows its collection-mates, if I were to sum this collection up in one word it would be: balanced. Perhaps what I enjoyed the most was the humor sprinkled throughout. Some lines were enough to evoke an audible laugh while reading, something objectively difficult to accomplish. A rivalry with a gondola captain, being the pitied third wheel of a dissolving marriage, tormenting a rude tourist, retrieving a coveted trophy from a bird carcass, and watching a non-musician musical prodigy giving musical advice are all plot points into which Ishiguro injects his humor. He is also, though small, humanizing moments, able to subvert reader expectations and remind them that the characters are worthy of our sympathy.

The only distracting factor for me was the inclusion of Lindy Gardner as the celebrity in the titular story, "Nocturne." With Ishiguro's ability to build characters that are memorable and unique, I wish that he used the opportunity to feature a different faux celebrity. I did enjoy her character, but I also think it could've been someone else instead of Lindy since we didn't get a lot of her personality from the first story, "Crooner." That being said, this distraction was not enough to inhibit my ability to enjoy this collection for the masterpiece it is.

"Post-colonial, Queer: Theoretical Intersections" Edited by John C. Hawley (2001)

I can understand why this is considered a foundational text for anyone interested in post/neocolonial or queer studies. That being said, due to when this was published, it’s obvious in both the language and content that amendments are required, especially revolving around trans theory (or honestly the trans experience as a whole). An example of outdated content would be in the chapters about queerness in Thailand and the taboo that impacts both social and legal rights of the citizens. Luckily, this is now outdated as Thailand (just recently in the past few weeks) became the third Asian country (behind Nepal and Taiwan, the latter is also the focus of an essay in this book) to legalize gay marriage. Additionally, this book was published when the predominant term was “post-colonial,” something heavily criticized in later years as it implies that the impact of colonization has ended. As this is not the case (as also proven is not the case within the book itself), I will be using the term “neocolonial.”

However, this book did give a lot of insight into the over-erotizing of colonized cultures, particularly men. I have read about this phenomenon, but the focus was more specific to people of sub-Saharan descent. This book has several essays that look at this phenomenon across the Northern African continent and the Middle East, which definitely deserves more scholarship.

The essays I believe deserve further review and are most relevant to modern scholarship are:

• “Rupture or Continuity? The Internalization of Gay Identities” by Dennis Altman

• “Vacation Cruises; or, The Homoerotics of Orientalism” by Joseph Boone

• “Transcending Sexual Nationalism and Colonialism: Cultural Hybridization as Process of Sexual Politics in ‘90s Taiwan,” by Chong Kee Tan

• “Out in Africa” by Gaurav Desai

• “Broadening Postcolonial Studies/Decolonizing Queer Studies: Emerging ‘Queer’ Identities and Cultures in Southern Africa” by William J. Spurlin

Each of the above has building blocks for more contemporary scholarship I’ve reviewed in recent years. I think further study could be done and is necessary for many of the locations covered by the above essays as well. However, what I would argue is most significant about this collection is the integration of intersectionality and “third genders” which were common in numerous cultures before colonization (and will also be covered in other books I’m due to read, Redefining Realness by Janet Mock with her discussion on mahus in Hawaiian culture, for example).

Since the material is so outdated in so many areas, I only think this book is worth reading in a context similar to my own: as a foundational text that can be referred to when referencing more up-to-date scholarship.

"The Elephant Vanishes" by Haruki Murakami (1993)

The biggest compliment I can give a short story collection is: I never knew what was coming next. Murakami is a chameleon. His ability to transition between gendered POVs, varying styles (traditional prose, epistolary, combination), mastery of punctuation (frequently used to provide interiority or heighten tension), and subtle, subversive, surprising plots are something to behold.

Unlike Keret or Blasim where the surreal was the standard, Murakami only ventures into the surreal for short periods, breaking up the stretches of stories that are, more likely, held in a universe bound by rules like our own. The result is a collection that never feels weighted, one whose stories and style never outstay their welcome.

All the stories featured have a certain discomfort associated. The reader always has a sense that something is wrong, even if they cannot pinpoint it right away. Part of this comes from the aforementioned expertise in creating tension, something that the reader can recognize from the first story (not knowing who is calling the phone, counting the minutes of the conversation). However, the other part comes from Murakmi's ability to craft specific details that demonstrate what it means to *show* your reader what is happening. Perhaps one of the most impeccable skills demonstrated in this collection is how Murakami is able to describe sound. It's unusual to find an author who can take something audible and translate it into a physical accompaniment, which I find he does remarkably.

I will absolutely have to revisit this collection and take detailed notes on how Murakami is able to provide both substance and detail in such harmony. This is a collection I simply cannot get enough of.

"Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic" by Alison Bechdel (2006)

Perhaps what is most impactful about this book is how Bechdel can use theology, literature, and philosophy to peel back the messy, entangled layers of personal and familial silence. There is more to this book than an exploration of shame, sexuality, and grief, Bechdel is almost as intangible as the portraits of her family she paints (literally and metaphorically). Her use of literary language opens up possibilities for her to undercut her obvious wit with humor, unease, and deep pathos.

The medium of a graphic memoir is an interesting, but important one. Small, square panels move along the scenes, allowing Bechdel to add jokes and details that would otherwise halt the narrative (for example, when her father enters the car holding a bag of Sunbeam bread). On the other hand, longer rectangular panels let Bechdel show a scene or let the reader marinate in a significant point in her or her family's history. Even the color choice is specific, mirroring the same distaste for color that Bechdel mentions having for most of her life. The dusty blue that ranges in shade lends itself the solemnity of tone while reflecting the parts of Bechdel's personality she tells us with words in and around the gutters of her panels.

Bechdel's use of language in the memoir is a double-edged sword. As mentioned before, it allows for moments of humor and heightens certain emotions Bechdel is attempting to convey, but it also isolates her from the reader. At times it feels almost impenetrable, like her language is putting up a barrier between her and not just the reader, but everyone. In part, this negatively impacts the opening for a reader to truly understand and empathize with the complex themes of the book (loss and grief, finding an identity that is socially unwelcomed, betrayal, and shame). Just as she writes her parents to be almost fictional and entirely intangible, her language does the same thing here. Part of me isn't sure how purposeful it is either, as the book feels like it possibly was never meant to be read as anything other than a thematic journal. But it is the persistence of her language that keeps this book from being a full five stars for me.

"American Born Chinese" by Gene Luen Yang (2006)

SPOILERS AHEAD

I just love this book. Yang's ability to take a bildungsroman and make it new, imaginative, cultural, touching, and humorous astounds me. The beauty of this book is the layers it is able to produce: autobiography, myth, and visual and written metaphor. However, what I think this book does the best is show the impact of racist stereotypes on a human level and what it feels like to be a child who cannot be seen for themselves, but for their ethnicity alone.

The three tales of this story (the story of Jin, the Monkey King, and the Danny and Chin-Kee) are all hitting the same points in unique ways. The strength of this method is the reader is able to see how deeply personal it is to be racially profiled. From the Monkey King forcing himself and his followers to wear shoes, to Danny assaulting Chin-Kee, to Jin ruining his friendships after he's rejected by his white peers, each protagonist is hiding a piece of themselves.

Yang is careful in the details of his illustrations as well. For moments of significance he blacks out the panel background, only showcasing the focus character and any relevant text. After Jin is bullied for his dumplings and is accused of eating dog, he is shown only eating sandwiches. In these moments Yang is directing the reader without words, but with subtleties that I seem to always find more of upon rereading.

For any audience from middle school and above, this is an essential tale of learning to accept yourself when everyone around you makes you feel like an outsider.

"The Return" by Robert Bolaño (2010)

Bolaño's collection, while impressive, does not hold up throughout. By far, the most engaging stories are in the first half, with the exception of the titular story, "The Return."

The stories that I found most impactful were, "Snow," "William Burns," "Detectives," "Joanna Silvestri," and "The Return." Each of these stories is unique from the other following a Chilean immigrant in Russia, a man whose paranoia results in the death of an innocent, two men in conversation about past events while on patrol, a porn actress who catches feelings, and a man who observes the treatment of his recently deceased body as a ghost (similar to stories by both Blasim and Keret), respectively. This variety of the collection is what is most remarkable. None of these tales feel like they are from the same author, in the best way. Bolaño appears as though he can shape shift as he explores the most raw features of the human condition from numerous perspectives.

Unfortunately for the collection as a whole, this shape shifting is not sustainable. The biggest deficit of this collection is the feeling of repetition that begins to occur regarding plot and subject matter, which begins to water down the stories in the first half that felt (upon first reading) so fresh and revived. Another deficit of the collection (for my personal taste) is half of a double-edged sword: Bolaño's vast knowledge of European and Russian literature and poetry. While this knowledge enhances some of the stories (like "Snow" where the protagonist is constantly trying to keep up with the literary knowledge of his criminal colleagues) by adding characterization, in others it completely detracts from the purpose of the story altogether (most notably in his story "Photos" which becomes nearly indecipherable at points due to the rattling of names). The ending result is a collection that is half magnificent and half droning and pretentious, a clear sign of what can happen if you take one trait too far.

"The Corpse Exhibition and Other Stories of Iraq" by Hassan Blasim (2014)

SPOILERS AHEAD

Blasim uses varieties of form and POV to explore the hardships experienced by Iraqi citizens spanning multiple wars and occupations in a way that is wholly unique and horrifying. Blasim uses brief moments of repetition (like the use of the word "one" in "Thousand and One Knives") and slipping in and out of 2nd person POV to highlight the tone of the collection, specifically by bringing the reader into the protagonist's experience as vividly as possible for each story.

The first story, "The Corpse Exhibition" is the perfect choice to set the tone of this collection and is written in 2nd person POV though it mostly feels like standard 3rd person limited narration. The story functions as almost a training video for murders who display the bodies of their victims in a variety of increasingly shocking ways for the sake of message and "art." Functionally, this piece lets the reader know that the rest of the collection will be violent, gory, and as exploitative as the media (as briefly discussed using the example of Al Jazeera in "The Reality and The Record") to depict the unpleasantries of war.

Blasim is able to capture complex emotions and characters where heroes and villains don't really exist. The cycle of war portrayed by Blasim is one where everyone is unable to escape the violence and anger, much like "The Bus Driver Who Wanted to be God and Other Stories" by Keret. The distinguishing factors between Blasim and Keret is primarily one of author perspective: Keret writes about war and occupation from the perspective of the occupiers (Israel) where Blasim writes from the perspective of the occupied (Iraq). The occupiers change throughout the collection, from the U.S. military, to racial groups (for example, the Kurdish), and terror groups, but the result is always the same: anger, fear, violence, a desperate need for survival. This lends itself to the overarching tone of the collection: impending doom.

"The Bus Driver Who Wanted to be God and Other Stories" by Etgar Keret

SPOILERS AHEAD

Keret's collection is a surrealist collection that uses black humor to dissect the mentality of war. He uses short, punchy sentences to keep the stories vibrant while highlighting the disturbing twists of the content. The stories are tied together with two main themes: religion and anger/rage.

Many of stories feature characters with a God-complex. The titular story is an excellent example ("The Bus Driver Who Wanted to be God"), though this can also be found in "Hole in the Wall," "Kneller's Happy Campers," and most disturbing of them all, "Cocked and Locked" where the feeling of superiority is blanketed by the theme of rage as it depicts an Israeli soldier in a verbal (and later physical) altercation with a Palestinian man.

With current world events, "Cocked and Locked" is almost nauseating to read. However, Keret does depict the events as something no one really wants to happen. The Palestinian man shows his detest and anger-driven by Israeli occupation as the Israeli soldier shows equal contempt as someone who is forced into a military and faces harassment. Everyone is angry. Everyone is losing. Only some people have to lose more than others. Keret does pick apart Islam throughout the book, however, he also picks apart every religion.

This is most easy to see in "Kneller's Happy Campers" (the longest story of the collection, by far). There is a chapter in which two Israeli men who have killed themselves and are now on a quest in the afterlife come across an Arab (no details about nationality are given) man who admits to being a suicide bomber. The climax of the scene is when one of the Israeli men is mocking the Arab man about the belief in the "72 virgins waiting for him" to which the Arab man responds: "Sure, they promise [...] and look what it got me. [...] And you, what did they promise you?"

Keret's characters are vastly unlikable, some even admitting to being racist. His saving grace for the collection lies within the protagonists. The protagonists are typically characters that act as a proxy for the reader, someone who is on the outside (in one way or another) and are watching atrocities and horror occur around them. Again, the primary deviant from this is "Cocked and Loaded" where the protagonist is the Israeli soldier that ends up severely assaulting the Palestinian man. Though further research into both the occupied and occupier positions (pre-October 7th, 2023) would be helpful in understanding the climate and purpose behind this piece in particular.

"On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction" by William Zinsser (1976)

Zinsser's "On Writing Well" is the midpoint between Lamotts "Bird by Bird" and Wood's "How Fiction Works": more personal than Wood and more craft-centerd than Lamott. The primary difference between his "personal" and Lamott's is that Zinsser tends to stick to stories from his life that center around writing: being a guest speaker, interacting with his students, being a featured pannelist, whereas Lamott tends to center her experiences and rotate the writing tips around that (not unlike Chee in "How to Write an Autobiographical Novel). Zinsser is explicit about what he thinks is good writing versus "hack" writing, being as bold as to say "hack" himself.

Zinsser is hyper-aware of the prominence of non-fiction writing and offers valuable information for writers and non-writers alike. His book is broken into four parts: principles, methods, forms, and attitudes. However, for most people (i.e., anyone not pursuing journalism) the principles and methods sections are where a bulk of the information come from. A lot of the actual "tips" stop after this point, where he begins to get specific about forms and clichés to be mindful of once the book hits the "forms" section. At that point, you can really skim to any area you're interested in and leave the rest untouched.

Zinsser has a few recurring tips: be yourself, avoid clichés, all elements must be cohesive (unity), and, perhaps most important, writing won't be any fun to read if you don't have fun writing it (enjoyment). That being said, Zinsser's first couple sections open the door for anyone to learn how to better their writing abilities and become aware of what their pitfalls may be.

"My Time Among the Whites: Notes from an Unfinished Education" by Jennine Capó Crucet (2019)

Capó Crucet's essay collection is a fascinating study of social politics during the 2016 Trump presidency. Though she travels back and forth through time periods in her life, they always end up at the same spot: the racial tensions and socio-political climate caused by the Trump administration. The core of the collection is Capó Crucet's analysis of race from the perspective of someone who has been placed on every level of the spectrum: treated as the racial majority, passing for another racial majority, and being a part of a racial minority. Capó Crucet's experiences of each of these shapes her analysis of the dangers that arise with a noted xenophobic racist in office.

Where the magic really arises in the collection is how Capó Crucet is able to find the metaphors for these complex, unpleasant issues within her own personal experiences. From the othering found as a first-gen student at an Ivy League institution to misconceptions (or inexperience) about white funerals and weddings, the center of each piece remains Capó Crucet as all the other themes seem to fall into place around her.

Looking back on this collection, it seems like a time capsule for an era no one (should) want to return to but continues lurking around the corner.

"Friend of My Youth" by Alice Munro (1987)

The blurbs weren't lying when they said Munro fits what feels like a full novel in each of her stories. Her prose is decisive, descriptive, full-bodied. The use of third-person limited (and occasionally omniscient) POV is smart here as it gives the reader a feeling that "what has been will always be." This intergenerational continuation of events is a theme prominent from the first story. Each piece bounces between generations, looking at people, businesses, place, and Canadian border culture in a way that makes every character and each decision they make feel inevitable (a phenomenon highly praised by Zinsser's "On Writing Well"). It is mostly Munro's views of place throughout time that hold the stories together. Arguably, the main theme here is "history" in all its forms (personal, geographic, cultural).

Munro does engage with socio-economic class, particularly the dichotomy of how the "haves" view the world versus the "have not's." In comparison, Allison’s "Trash" does something similar, but remains zoomed in on the experience and associations that come from being a "have not." Perhaps this is partially due to the POV (Allison often writes in first-person which gives a feeling of rawness and immediacy), though Munro does have an air of "old-school" to her prose.

This can be found particularly in romance. Munro's depictions of romance feel driven by duty, obligation to maintain the status quo, and occasionally, as a means for escape (literally and metaphorically). Munro's characters feel like they are in a relationship because they haven't a choice, and because of this, they are frequently unfaithful to their partners for the same reason. Again, if we are to look at Allison we see relationships fueled by lust, desire, desperation. They too feel like inevitable relationships, but mostly because the characters appear as though they need the external validation from their partner where Munro's characters feel they need it from society at large.

"Further News of Defeat: Stories" by Michael X. Wang (2020)

"Further News of Defeat" is an excellent example of writing about the terror of war without being exploitative. Though Wang does not pull any punches, all his characters feel real and thereby, humanize atrocious behavior. If there's one thing Wang is an expert at, it's showing how survival is not always heroic and moral.

Survival is one of the most prominent themes of the book, all characters are doing what they can to set up a life for themselves and their kin. Other prominent themes included by Wang are pride, shame, and longing. Each character has something they want (to go to the city, to know how to read, to return to the safety of the village, to save one's family, etc.) and are trying to achieve their desired end goal in a way that maintains their dignity, nothing that any of them are able to accomplish. This gives the collection a general feeling of hopelessness which gives breathing room to the primary theme of survival. It's important to note the push-and-pull of progress and tradition that occurs through each story as well.

The collection is structured to align with the political unrest from the Tianamen Square protests and massacre to the rise of a new emperor (unnamed in the book, but to be assumed as Xi Jinping). The stories progress through time chronologically (with the exception of "Further News of Defeat" which depicts Japanese occupation of Xinchun Village, a recurring setting in the collection), giving the reader an idea of how nuanced political unrest can be in China. These protests, this revolution does not only affect those who are on the front lines, but all aspects of life in China and its people.

Without a doubt I'm sure there are a ton of references to Chinese culture and history that I am not picking up on an initial reading with my current knowledge of said topics. I would be delighted to reread this book after further research so I can better catch these details Wang so expertly weaves throughout.

"Trash" by Dorothy Allison (1988)

Allison always does an excellent job at showing characters who are likable, understandable, and deeply, deeply flawed. The stories of this collection are tied together with themes of anger, violence, humor, shame, pining, living up to stereotypes, family (and discovering their secrets), and perhaps most prevalent: loss.

The first story of the collection does an excellent job setting up the main themes of the collection, though it is the juxtaposition Allison gives between growing up poor "trash" and middle class that most situates this collection. Immediately, the reader is forced to recognize how socio-economic status can frame someone's entire life and the life of their family. Irresponsible procreation resulting in a slough of family members that are forced to lie, cheat, or most frequently, steal to get by. Allison is excellent at showing characters who make terrible decisions while keeping their humanity. Sometimes poor decisions are made based on anger, frustration, the idea of "if this is what you think I'm doing, then I may as well," or out of straight desperation. It never gets easier to read about the abuse and hardship, but Allison makes it clear that it is the point. Arguably, the final story does the best at wrapping up these themes. Dealing with the slow death of a far-from-perfect but dearly-beloved mother and reflecting on the good, bad, and ugly, it feels almost as though Allison is consoling the reader: "yes these horrible things happen, but in our own ways, we can always persevere."

Most to this collection's detriment is that sometimes the characters and plots begin to feel a bit familiar. While the themes are what keep the collection interesting, they do begin to feel a bit repetitive after a while. I think it is mostly because Allison seems to have stories about family and stories about relationships, but the families and the relationships are all somewhat similar: based in pain, longing, and often, shame. I do think the final story is a bit of a saving grace as I had started to lose interest, but the final story reminded me why I love Allison so much as an author.

"Karate Chop" by Dorthe Nors (2008)

SPOILERS AHEAD

"Karate Chop" by Dorthe Nors has its moments but is overall underwhelming. Though all the stories are short, keeping the entire collection under 100 pages, I often found there was not enough substance to keep me interested. I also recognize this could in part be reflective of the translator more than Nors herself.

Similar to Aidt (another Danish short story writer), Nors uses her collection to tell snippets of "real-life," though with far less dramatic plots than Aidt. What Nors does that is most intriguing, however, is analyze the human ego. To be perfectly clear, "ego" here is in reference to the psychological definition.

As with Aidt, Nors features unlikable characters, though all of her characters show a disconnect between what is "right" and what they believe is right. The most notable example of this is in her story "The Buddhist" which follows a man who believes he needs to be Buddhist as it already aligns with his character after being hit with a divorce filing from his wife. His delusions are such that he ends up with a job he doesn't deserve and is about to lose, threatening immolation without ever reflecting that *he* could be the problem.

While the analysis of ego is the primary glue for this collection, other themes like existentialism (tied to ego), grief, and apathy can be found throughout.

"Baboon" by Naja Marie Aidt (2006)

SPOILERS AHEAD

Aidt's collection, "Baboon" is unflinching in its examinations of the beauty and horror of the human experience. Primarily featuring incredibly unlikable characters, they do not appear as evil caricatures. A woman can abuse her son, a husband can cheat on his wife with her sister, an assault can unlock fetishes in a married couple, and Aidt's use of language, form, and style keep all the characters believable, often acknowledging the horror themselves.

What holds the collection together are the common themes throughout the pieces. Betrayal (often also seen as abandonment), resentment, family, vulnerability, and desire can be found in each story, some more so than others. The arc in which the stories are assembled is fairly standard, starting with the most striking and ending with the second most striking. However, the morbidity of the final story and the final line ("...he sites down and cracks opens his long-anticipated beer, suddenly feeling like a new-born with everything to look forward to") could also contribute to the story placement.

Perhaps the final story could also be pointing to another theme throughout the collection: resilience. All the characters learn to adapt to the horrors they experience, none are conquered even if who they are at the end is not who they were at the beginning. It's within this final theme that Aidt's collection becomes a master class in writing about the "real world."

"The House on Mango Street" by Sandra Cisneros (1984)

This book is a classic for a reason. Cisneros tackles themes of sadness, shame, and belonging in this beautifully constructed bildungsroman. The each story is told from the perspective of the protagonist, Esperanza with shifts in point of view throughout. Cisneros is excellent at bringing Mango Street to life by showing small snippets (facts, fiction, observations) of the neighborhood and the people who reside there. While we follow the protagonist, the book seems to focus on Mango Street itself more than Esperanza.

Cisneros is unflinching in her depictions of abuse, the desire to escape one's socio-economic position, cultural clashes, and perceptions of the "other." The book shows the connection to Latin, particularly Mexican, culture throughout, but through the "other" lens. Every piece of information the reader gleans in this book is done through a snippet.

Perhaps most notable about this book is Cisneros' ability to characterize her nouns in unique ways that demonstrate her training as a poet. One that stuck with me the most was her description of an apartment that "breathed" a musty smell into the hall, demonstrating Cisneros' ability to be clear, concise, and impactful in even a single word.

"A New Anatomy of Storyworlds: What Is, What If, As If" by Marie-Laurie Ryan (2022)

SPOILERS AHEAD

Ryan's main goal is to advocate for a new form of narratology: "Possible Worlds (PW) Theory." She advocates for this new theory by pointing out holes in adjacent theories that are typically used to dissect truth, fiction, narrators, plots, characters, and mimesis and diegesis. Chapters 1 - 6 address these concepts before she moves on to the potential applications of PW Theory in theoretical physics, current technology, narratology and transmedia, and future technology (such as AI) in the remaining 4 chapters.

When dissecting a new theory, there are thought experiments required to identify the highlights and pitfalls of the new ideology. Ryan is exceptional at identifying the weaknesses and strengths of her ideas, along with how PW Theory can blend with existing theories to try to fill the gap identified by science and technology. For anyone interested in narrative structure and ways to analyze reader thoughts, reactions, and contexts from the perspective of a writer or scholar, this could be a beneficial text if you can wade through the dense scholarly language reminiscent of the writings of Judith Butler.

"Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris (2000)

Sedaris' essay collection is one filled with biting, dry humor. Unafraid to poke fun at himself and others, Sedaris shows an incredible ability to find the humor in death, addiction, and existential crises. His ability to characterize the people in his life through specific details helps translate the reality of them while also showing how interests, habits, and quirks can lend to the humor of everyday life.

The first part of the collection focuses primarily on his life growing up, coming of age, and discovering who he may want to be. The second part of the collection, primarily explores his new life in France with his partner, giving examples of Americanness outside of the American context. Through his own difficulties in learning the language, viewing Americans on vacation in Paris, and the juxtaposition between his view of events as a guy raised in the South and his partners' views as a child of American diplomats, Sedaris is able to paint what it means to carry one's culture and upbringing into a new "world."

Not enough good things can be said about this book and the insights it offers through the most unorthodox methods.