Peter Boyle Vagabond Press ($29.95) by John Bradley “The mask maker had died / but the room kept weaving masks, / a galaxy of approaching worlds,” writes Ricardo Xavier Bousoño, in “I Do Not Trust That Word ‘Oxygen,’” one of the poems “translated” by Peter Boyle in Ghostspeaking. In this bold and ambitious book, Boyle […]
Ken Sparling Coach House Books ($15.95) by Marissa McHugh There are elements of magical realism throughout Ken Sparling’s This Poem Is a House, a novel in verse by a highly regarded Canadian writer. The two main characters, a boy and a girl who do not have first names, see things that are not seen in […]
Peter Handke Translated by Krishna Wilson Farrar, Straus and Giroux ($27) by John Toren Reading a new novel by Peter Handke is like taking a month-long walk in the woods. You know it's going to be hard, you know long stretches are going to be dull, but you also know there will be some surprises […]
Tim Earley Horse Less Press ($15) by Kent Weigle Tim Earley’s Linthead Stomp is a book that writhes and seethes like a briar of barbed wire. The title evokes the idea of the old south, impoverished and limping along, proud of the hard life. But the book is no friend of the past. It rails […]
edited by Karen Joy Fowler series edited by John Joseph Adams Mariner ($14.95) by Ryder W. Miller Relatively new to the “Best American” anthologies, The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2016 fills a gap of sorts in this distinguished series. This year’s guest editor is Karen Joy Fowler, who has written both genre fiction […]
Connie Wanek University of Nebraska Press ($19.95) by Edward A. Dougherty Rival Gardens is the second in University of Nebraska Press’s Ted Kooser Contemporary Poetry series. In his introduction, the former Poet Laureate observes that Wanek’s poems “offer an indelible language to use while admiring our world.” This succinctly captures three hallmarks of Wanek’s work: […]
Cynthia Gallaher Book Baby ($12.98) by Laura Winton Whether you are a starving poet or for some reason just want to live like one, The Frugal Poets’ Guide to Life will help you to see the beauty in the simpler things of life. The book offers an eclectic mix of poetry, memoir, cooking tips, and […]
Janine Joseph Alice James Books ($16) by Steve Fellner Janine Joseph’s debut collection of poetry Driving without a License couldn’t feel more urgent. Propelled by the topic of immigration and filled with heartbreaking relevance, the book still manages to treat the subject with a unique sense of humor that feels wholly appropriate. Courage and a […]
Eugen Ruge translated by Anthea Bell Graywolf Press ($14) by Erin Lewenauer Failing to connect with others, traveling aimlessly, giving oneself over to change, being lost in translation, even to oneself—these themes sway together like dust in a ray of sunlight in German novelist Eugen Ruge’s second book. His story brings to mind the poem […]
Paul Youngquist University of Texas Press ($27.95) by Will Wlizlo Sun Ra believed that the best way to improve the lives of others was to help them imagine an alternate universe. He did so by playing the piano at smoky nightclubs. Over a career that spanned fifty years and 200 albums, he innovated musical techniques […]