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Deneishia Jacobpito’s story Delicate Rain, released in April of this year, follows the short journey to healing of the main character, Francesca DeLouise (Frank). Frank has spent her life in New York City, but finally, much to the dismay of her best friend, Lynn, she decides to head west. The opening of the story is […]
After Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl became a runaway bestseller in 2012, there was a lengthy period of time during which it seemed as though every thriller written by a woman who was hailed — by the publishers, by those who wrote blurbs, by reviewers — as the next thing to read if you loved Flynn’s […]
Ordinarily I read one poem in a collection at a time and digest — give each piece special attention. Remaking Achilles (Hidden River Publishing) is different. I read it in one sitting. And then I read it again, sure that with a second read I would find some solution to the questions it raises. Written […]
In the midst of the first full month of pandemic-induced sheltering, Iowans across the state were looking for ways to make sense of their situation. I’m talking deep April, when we all started realizing that there was no quick and easy way out of this. When the itch to socialize was becoming unbearable. When we […]
Somewhere around “Disney Princess Pageant,” I start to cry. “I’m Snow White / We’re telling the truth…. On the Internet / This is the best party I’ve ever been to.” If I were a gambler, I’d bet that the magic infused throughout Becca Klaver’s poetry collection, Ready for the World, released in February 2020, made […]
As the world shuts down and ultimately starts to reopen, Iowa City circles its figurative wagons, our institutions working to keep local artists and retailers engaged. Little Village reaches out for book reviews. Prairie Lights delivers books for reviewers right to their doors. I have the privilege of reading Nest, a series of heartfelt essays […]
Most plays tell a story, taking audiences for a ride of plot twists and turns, perhaps inspiring laughter or tears or heartbreak along the way. Other plays take a different road, focusing more on tone and mood — a journey evoking difficult-to-process feelings and challenging audiences in ways that stick long after the play is […]
An intriguing idea, sympathetic characters and a fast-moving plot make Traitor by Iowan Dennis Green a great read for lovers of exciting sci-fi. Traitor is the final book in a trilogy that began with Traveler and Prisoner, and though I have not read the first two, I thoroughly enjoyed the third. However, I would recommend […]
In his debut novel, Real Life, released Feb. 18, Iowa Writers’ Workshop alum Brandon Taylor follows the story of Wallace, a science graduate student in the Midwest who is in search of what he really wants. The book is set over the course of just three days, and it’s filled with betrayals, new romance and […]
‘A Visit to Lost Otter Farm’ By Cory Christiansen, illus. by Mackinzie Rekers — Self-published Every year, the Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature offers One Book Two Book, a festival for all kids, from the book character meet-and-greets for your toddler (with unbelievably tolerant folks dressed in full-coverage, big-headed costumes) to the Junior High […]
The Heap By Sean Adams — William Morrow (A HarperCollins imprint) Reading: Sean Adams Prairie Lights — Thursday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. In his first novel, Iowa Writers’ Workshop graduate Sean Adams masterfully satirizes bureaucracy, capitalism and hustle culture in a way that is humorous and disturbing, while constructing an intriguing narrative that deals […]
Cedar Rapids-based dancer, educator and poet Lovar Davis Kidd started the new year by self-publishing a volume of poetry entitled Paper Planes: A Collection of Poems not Crumpled on the Floor. This collection calls to mind the author’s spoken word performances, and most of these pieces beg to be read aloud. The short book is divided into […]
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