Bad Writing Takes You Home: A Review of The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias

The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias (Mulholland Books, 2022) The title on the front cover of the book is written in English. The effusive…


On Earth We’re Ugly as Fuck: A Review of On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong (Penguin Press, 2019) Ocean Vuong's debut novel is written in the from of a letter to his mother. He…


Call Us What We Bloviate: A Review of Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman

Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman (Viking Books, 2021) Born in 1998, Amanda Gorman is part of that Generation Z that has tasked itself with…


Everything I Wish You Never Told Me: A Review of Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng (Abacus, 2014) The winner of the Amazon Book of the Year, the Massachusetts Book Award, the Alex Award…


This is the Night I Will Roll My Eyes in Incredulity: A Review of This is the Night Our House Will Catch Fire by Nick Flynn

This is the Night Our House Will Catch Fire by Nick Flynn (Norton, 2020) The American Baby Boomers who once worshiped Elvis and the Rolling Stones…


Erasing Existence

This room stinks. It's a musty, mildewy smell that gets worse when it rains, and despite living in a coastal desert city where only drought-resistant…


“My Neighborhood Pawnshop,” “The Courage of the Ne’er-Do-Well,” and “Thrift and Frugality (or Cooking for Oneself)”

My Neighborhood Pawnshop The pawnshop in my neighborhood had not been there very long. That was in fact how I noticed it--- a new store in a strip…