Tag: reviews

926 Years review + more III

Equus Press reviews 926 Years

Firstly, 926 Years by Kyle Coma-Thompson and I has been reviewed at Equus Press by David Vichnar. It is part of Vichnar’s fairly comprehensive look at Sublunary Editions‘ output in the first half of 2020. We have had some lovely and lively reviews of our book, and this one is no different. This line was especially appreciated: Another kind of cohesion is the pragmatic one: the “effect” of this stories leaves one humbled, aware that “there are 7.8 billion live people in the world, each with their own story” (Jyoti Verma). With thanks to David and Equus for taking the time and the head space.

Secondly, Vichnar’s thoughts on the book were nice to see, of course, but it was especially welcome because, unbeknownst to him, it almost perfectly coincides with the first birthday of our little book. I can’t really comprehend where and how the time has gone since January 2020, but it’s hard to argue against the calendar. To make matters more baffling, Kyle and I worked on the text all the way back in 2019, a period which now seems to occupy some obscure spot on the time-space continuum – our email exchanges seem like they were both a million years ago but also just last week. Peter wrote: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. Maybe we are all gods now.

926 Years reviews + more II

Couple of recent reviews have appeared and both really get to the meat of 926 Years.

Read That Nevertheless Sky We All Live Below by Edwin Turner.

Read An Obscure Constellation by Daniel Davis Wood.

Turner and Davis Wood follow different paths but come to similar conclusions. From David Wood: “To all intents and purposes, the two authors might as well be one.” A real thrill to be written on by two readers I admire a lot.

Sublunary’s publisher Joshua Rothes has also been interviewed at Splice by Davis Wood about the press, how 926 Years came together and on editing Kyle and I. Read Literature More Like Jazz.

Buy 926 Years.

926 Years reviews + more

Medusa

Heartening to see a couple of reviews appear for 926 Years within a few days of its release.

Read Wonder Years by Frank Garrett.

Read Older Than Yesterday, Younger Than God by Joe Schreiber.

Read That Nevertheless Sky We All Live Below by Edwin Turner.

Sublunary’s publisher Joshua Rothes has been interviewed at my old stomping ground, 3:AM. Read The Mail Never Stops.

And – inordinately excited about this one – last but not least, Kyle and I, in collaboration with California-based artist Michelle Dyrness and Josh, have created a postcard, the first of its kind for Sublunary. The front features art by Michelle and the back a poem by Kyle and I. Order the book or subscribe to Sublunary’s mail-outs to receive one.

See more of Michelle’s artwork.

Buy 926 Years.

On Anne Serre’s The Fool

The Fool by Anne SerreI had the serious pleasure of reviewing The Fool and Other Moral Tales by Anne Serre for Music & Literature. Picked up The Fool on a whim (cover got me, and the fact it was published by New Directions), thoroughly enjoyed what Serre was up to, and immediately ordered The Governesses. Wanted more, but this is all there is in English translation, so thought the next best way to spend more time with her writing was to review it. Speaking of which, I’ve got something else in the pocket, looking for a home for that now.

The first review I’ve written (or completed, at least) in over a year, knew I was rusty so put the work in on this one – hope it shows. Big thanks to Jeffrey and Taylor at M&L for giving it a home – it’s a pleasure to be published by them again.

And do pick up The Fool.

On Marcel Schwob’s The King in the Golden Mask

Review of The King in the Golden Mask by Marcels SchwobMy review of the The King in the Golden Mask by Marcel Schwob (translated by Kit Schluter and published by Wakefield Press) has been published at Music & Literature.

Enjoyed this fine little collection – the first complete English edition – so much I thought writing about it could be useful, to – as usual – clarify my own thoughts about it, more than anything. To understand why he may have cast so profound an influence on some of my favourite writers.

Big thanks to Taylor and, in particular, Jeffrey from M&L.

On ‘I’

'I' by Wolfgang HilbigReview 31 has published my review of the excellent ‘I’ by Wolfgang Hilbig.

I hope it’s implicit in the review, but to state it explicitly – I do like a book that arrives as a book; I’m curious about how much of this is the way it has been framed by Seagull Books in their edition, or if this was always inherent in the narrative. A bit of both, I suspect…

Gratitude to David from R31 for his editorial work, and for both challenging and humouring my attempts to stray from orthodoxy.

On The Illogic of Kassel

The Illogic of Kassel“Didn’t I come to Kassel precisely to seek the aesthetic instant?”

My review of The Illogic of Kassel by Enrique Vila-Matas (translated by Anne McLean and Anna Milsom and published by New Directions) has been published at Words Without Borders.

Needless to say, it’s quite the thrill to have written for an organisation that champions literature – in translation, especially – as Words Without Borders does. Big thanks to WWB’s reviews editor, KTK.

On Trieste by Daša Drndić

Cut from cover of Trieste by daša drndić

My review of Trieste by Daša Drndić is up at 3:AM Magazine. In case I don’t make myself clear in the review, Trieste is an exceptional novel. It’s been some time since I read anything with this kind of power, or something that felt so much bigger than me and my neighbourhood; I don’t mind admitting, maybe as a result of that, this is the most difficult review I’ve written.

Also, proud to have another piece of writing published by the 3:AM gang. Gratitude to K. Thomas Kahn for the opportunity – and everything else.