Five years ago today, I arrived in London on a one-year student visa but with no intention of ever leaving. I first visited England in 2003. As an undergrad at Wilkes University, I worked in the English department. I made copies and sorted mail. One day the department received a poster for a study abroadContinue reading “Five Years (a personal essay)”
Tag Archives: literature
Educated
By Tara Westover, published in 2018 This is the third memoir I’ve read this year, and the second about an abusive parent/child relationship. As I’m sure many others have already said, this reminded me a lot of The Glass Castle: A child raised by mentally ill and/or abusive parents who fail to provide a lovingContinue reading “Educated”
Luster
By Raven Leilani, published 2020 Edie is a twenty-something woman trying to survive in New York without any support network. She phones it in at her job, sleeps around the office, and recently met Eric through a dating app. He’s in an open marriage, and Edie is impressionable enough to be impressed by him becauseContinue reading “Luster”
Dept. of Speculation
By Jenny Offill, published 2014 This is my second novel by Jenny Offill. The first was Weather, which I loved. I really enjoyed this novel as well, but the trouble with reviewing her books is that it’s difficult to pin down what they’re about. It’s also what makes reading them so fun. Offill has aContinue reading “Dept. of Speculation”
Starling Days
By Rowan Hisayo BuchananShortlisted for the 2019 Costa Novel AwardPublished 2019 Image by Emel Yasar Photography. This is Rowan Hisayo Buchanan’s second novel, and when I saw it advertised I thought it sounded excellent. Mina and Oscar are newlyweds, but have been together for about ten years, since college. They live in New York, andContinue reading “Starling Days”
Monica Cardenas 