What is at the forefront and beyond, what is now and what has always been, the reality and the stories in-between, demands “song” as a unifier, as a means to travel between these spaces.
We live in a world where millions of people grow up in one language and live and work in another, yet the stories of migrations across languages are rarely told.
Despite the progress over the years in the US, Lalami shows how this system has nonetheless managed to evolve to target its traditionally persecuted groups — its citizens for whom citizenship, with all its implications, including fair and equal protection under the law, is conditional, even rescindable — in new ways.
Same story, different day: The perpetuation of discrimination in Conditional Citizens Read More »
Nezhukumatathil is proudly and profoundly staking her claim and making room for her concerns in the tradition of American nature writing, a tradition that has often felt confined and limited by its whiteness.
I imagine a conversation between the two I’d just missed before the photo was taken, possibly right before one takes a sip, and the other takes a bite. The conversation might have been similar to one I’d had with my own mother, where I, as a teenager, asked questions expecting that—maybe this time—I would feel satisfied with her answers.
Diamonds and Squares Read More »
I needed an aperture to smoke out from the stressful life I have as a critical care physician. I needed an escape. There are places on earth that you are certainly called upon, and you can only visit by invitation. Konya is one of them. The city of Molana Rumi, the mystic Persian poet of
The Flâneur in Konya Read More »
Raven Leilani’s debut Luster is a novel about seeing. Edie, the 23-year-old protagonist, is a keen observer, armed with wit and a sharp, discerning gaze. Hers is an eye that cuts through exploitive structures because hers is a world that requires constant vigilance. As Edie evicts a “distressed, balding” mouse from her apartment, she sees
Time in the World: A Review of Luster by Raven Leilani Read More »
Mike Soto’s inaugural collection, A Grave is a Given Supper, is forceful and varied, shedding unflinching light on the intricate paths of two protagonists, Topito and Consuelo.
Criminal Saints: A Review of Mike Soto’s A Grave is a Given Supper Read More »
I don’t want this to be a cultural critique, or to garner attention as a poet only because the background seems exotic. I want the work to stand for the work.
The Rupture Point: Conversation with Abigail Chabitnoy Read More »
In a deep, official voice, the announcer told the fans to exit the arena and promised, “You are all safe… We are all safe.” With that, the crowd emptied out; no more basketball.
Everyone On Screen Has Tested Negative: On Enjoying Basketball in 2020 Read More »
