The beginning of The Celestials is a whirlwind of explanation that sets up the time, place, and people of the story. Karen Shepard blends historical facts and research with the finely crafted lives of her characters. Despite all of the background information, it took me a long time to feel like I truly knew the […]
Tin House Books
Andrew Keller on Cari Luna’s “The Revolution of Every Day,” by Tin House Books
What does the word “safety” mean and how is it relevant to Cari Luna’s book? The characters in The Revolution of Every Day live in a world divorced from present-day Manhattan. This is not a place of comfort or high living. The squat in which Amelia, Gerrit, Anne, Steve, and others live, is in […]
Kathleen Volk Miller on Pamela Erens “Virgins,” by Tin House Books
As an editor, I can say this is one of the most finely crafted books I’ve read. The fresh approach of a narrator who is imagining our scenes adds a compelling filter who still feels trustworthy. The mix of longer and shorter chapters truly worked for these characters and this story—we live our lives in […]
Kathleen Volk Miller on Matthew Specktor’s “American Dream Machine,” from Tin House Books
I just finished Matthew Spector’s “American Dream Machine,” from Tin House Books. I have to admit that even as I admired Specktor’s ability to flip POV’s between Beau Rosenwald and the narrator, Nate, I had a hard time getting engaged in the book. I felt flipped out of one narrative and into another before I […]