By Betty Fall Critically acclaimed author, award-winning filmmaker, professor of English and literature, Zen Buddhist priest—Ruth Ozeki’s extensive portfolio is as impressive as it is varied. Ozeki has built a literary career exploring all facets of how people connect, especially through reading and writing, and her stories have resonated with audiences across the globe. Despite already having such an accomplished…
By Shannon Glass When it comes to writing, TJ Martinson is always trying something new. His first two novels, The Reign of the Kingfisher and Her New Eyes, explore first the superhero myth and then speculative fiction delving into the body-identity connection. With his latest work, Blood River Witch, Martinson takes inspiration from his current home in Kentucky to craft…
By Geordie Stock Désirée Zamorano is a foodie, and in her short fiction, it shows. Her latest book, Amarisa’s Cooking Pot: Tales of Life in All its Wonders, is a hearty meal of a collection. Zamorano’s characters are overjoyed, furious, desperate, forlorn, pensive, and resolute. They populate the collection in magical fairy tales; cold, mean diatribes; and bittersweet introspective days…
Reviewed by Tommy Ebrahimi If there’s such a thing as a rock star in the study of ancient classics, Mary Beard deserves the title. Her book SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome is an approachable starting point for the Rome-curious, and she’s often tapped for cultural and historical commentary by television networks and publishers alike. Between her publicity bona fides…
By Jessica Ribera For decades, Rider Strong has been known for his role as Shawn Hunter on the TV series Boy Meets World, and the podcast he makes with his co-star friends, Pod Meets World, is one of the most popular in America. But Strong has always been more than just “that guy from TV.” His new fiction podcast, The…
By Geordie Stock Tim O’Leary’s work is a family affair: he and his husband, Robert Rice, have worked together to put their unique, modern stamp on episodic stories. The duo’s production company, Murder and Gay Stuff, has created streaming shows such as Demonhuntr (now on Amazon Prime and YouTube channel Here TV) and their latest effort, Laid Bare, which is…
Reviewed by Tommy Ebrahimi Ian Frazier is obsessed with details and with the specific: the color of an old friend’s kitchen (daffodil yellow), the length of the world’s largest beaver dam (2,790 feet), the inscription on an armored car from the Russian Revolution (“Enemy of Capital”). This particularity suffuses everything Frazier writes. In The Snakes That Ate Florida—a compilation of…
By Taj R. Harvey Musical legend Gregory Tate once said, “Being Black in America is a science fiction experience.” For some, stories like the X-Men, Hunger Games, Fahrenheit 451, and The Handmaid’s Tale feel recent, relevant, and scary, but for African Americans who have lived in the United States for over 400 years, those stories have been a consistent reality…
Reviewed by Shannon Glass In her latest novel, Mercy, Joan Silber gives a multigenerational perspective on the ripples that radiate from one person’s gravest regret. In distinct, hauntingly clear internal monologues, Silber illustrates the many ways that people can show mercy to others and, most importantly, themselves. Each character’s romantic, platonic, and familial relationships take center stage in complicated ways…