No one is free from the stain of darkness in Sarah Schmidt’s See What I Have Done. Which may not be surprising because the novel is about Lizzie Borden and the death of her father and stepmother. If somehow you made it through childhood without hearing the rhyme about her, you’ll have to google it yourself. I, for one, was mildly obsessed. Mostly because the thought of a child ... Read More...
Euphoria: A Novel
It’s that moment about two months in, when you think you’ve finally got a handle on the place. Suddenly it feels within your grasp. It’s a delusion—you’ve only been there eight weeks—and it’s followed by the complete despair of ever understanding anything. But at that moment the place feels entirely yours. It’s the briefest purest euphoria —Nell We meet Fen and Nell as they ... Read More...
Still Writing: The Pleasures and Perils of a Creative Life
Often, reviewing a book occurs only in the small space between book and reviewer. Meeting the author is a bonus but usually comes after the review is published when they are touring to promote the book. I was extremely fortunate, then to meet Dani Shapiro this week, before I finished my review. It is the equivalent of getting the answers to your calculus final before you ... Read More...
