Maggie Brown & Others: Stories by Peter Orner
In his latest collection of short stories, Peter Orner stays true to his talent: elucidating life through character, one snippet at a time.
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“A Selfie as Big as the Ritz” and “The Diamond as Big as the Ritz”
By comparing a selfie to a hotel that stands tall and decadent in the cultural imagination, Lara Williams draws connections between the subtle themes of mapping, ownership, and value present in both her story and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s of a similar name—“The Diamond as Big as the Ritz.”
Narrative and Conspiracy Theories
Though Thomas Milan Konda notes a recent sharp increase in the consumption of conspiracy theories and is concerned by it, his new book offers insightful context for why the United States has become as obsessed with conspiracy theories as it is.
The Unexpected Feminism of Elena Ferrante’s Scorned Woman
In contrast to many other more contemporary narratives, Elena Ferrante’s 2002 novel does not seek to avoid or minimize the pain of a broken marriage by playing into fantasy and wish fulfillment.
The Outlined Subject
The outline, the contour, of skin, for all its fragility and permeability, for all the fathomless depths of intention and desire it conceals, remains for many the most salient fact of their lives in the world.
Language of the Diaspora
Although none of the characters in Isabella Hammad’s new novel are diasporic themselves, her intricate use of Arabic instills the mixed language of diaspora with a fresh purpose.
Malina by Ingeborg Bachmann
Ingeborg Bachmann’s new novel is an agonizing assertion of being, a victory over the forces that conspire to shroud one in silence. As slippery and senseless as language can sometimes be, the book asserts, it’s still the best way of pinioning oneself to the world.
The Gone Dead by Chanelle Benz
Chanelle Benz’s haunting debut novel interrogates memory, race, and the way that stories define our lives.
Berg, The Weird, and The Eerie
Ann Quin’s debut novel takes aim at the difficulties of daily life, bringing to light our lack of control and the need for introspection when faced with even the simplest of questions.