book review

Two new reviews in Fourth Genre and The A.V. Club

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My review essay “Many Ways of Seeing, Many Ways of Saying,” which covers three books by the excellent Eva Saulitis, is in the current issue of  Fourth Genre.

Fourth Genre spring 2015 cover

Fourth Genre is print only, but you can purchase individual essays from this issue here (pretty neat!).

If you want to read something instantly, you can check out my review of Maggie Nelson’s The Argonauts up at The A.V. Club.  I found it a terrific blend of theory and story, with both thinking and narration that gets to the heart of things without pulling any punches.

The Argonauts cover

Thanks — as always — for reading!

The Writers Bloc reviews Brevity

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Katelin Farnsworth of The Writers Bloc reviewed issue 48 of Brevity — the issue that includes my essay “The Heart as a Torn Muscle.”

Writers Bloc logo

Here’s one of the nice things she said:

‘The Heart As A Torn Muscle’ by Randon Billings Noble takes an old age problem – the longing to be with someone who isn’t your partner, and spins it on it on its head. It’s captivating and refreshing, without taking itself too seriously (which it easily could have). It’s written as a ‘how to’ and is very clever. Here’s one of its gems:

‘No horoscopes. No tarot cards or tea leaves. If you must, you may steep yourself in stories of passion and price. Years from now you can indulge in what-ifs. But for now, right now, put your hand to your chest and feel what beats. The only muscle you can’t live without needs to stay whole.’

Click here to read the whole review!