I find it more difficult to discuss craft in a non-fiction collection of essays, but I noticed after a few pages that Gerard seems to be playing with the structure of the story. It is organized in scenes that alternate … Continue reading →

If any of you have read it, this story reads like one of Rebecca Lee’s short stories from her collection Bobcat. It is strange and unnerving, from the rooms without doors, to the surveillance, to the disappearance, all of it is … Continue reading →

In “Cracked,” the third chapter of Elizabeth Strout’s bestselling novel, Anything is Possible, I was most interested in the characters. The chapter’s main character, at least in contrast to Yvonne and Karen Lucie, is not entirely confident or assured. I … Continue reading →

Unlike the other linked stories, it was unclear to me how these stories were linked until the end. There was no unifying Lucy Barton. As far as craft is concerned, I think the first paragraph is interesting. We learn a … Continue reading →

Dark Lady by Margaret Atwood was an interesting final piece of the Gavin puzzle. Or the Constance puzzle, though, to me, Gavin seems to be the biggest part of all three stories, even though he is the worst of all … Continue reading →

This is a complex personal essay, created by less complex pieces of journalism. Gerard reports on her parents, she reports on the legal system regarding domestic violence, and she reports on New Thought, Christian Science, etc. When reading creative nonfiction, … Continue reading →

I can remember, as a little girl, feeling close to God, knowing he existed. I was baptized and raised in the church by parents who were active members and believed themselves to be “faithful.” While in Nashville we went from a … Continue reading →

 I hadn’t expected that the second chapter of Anything is Possible would not be about Tommy, an elderly man we’d met prior. Instead, we’re introduced to a new character, a character to whom I found myself expressing sympathy. If I … Continue reading →

More so than Atwood, I am struggling to write about Strout’s work. The world is clear and intensely developed, but it isn’t fantastic. Strout has copied our real world, with all of its complexities and layers, and has copied it … Continue reading →

Like Tommy Gutpill, Patty Nicely is concerned with her appearance, her reputation, and the perception of her family members and students. She becomes obsessed with Lila Lane’s harsh words, reciting “Fatty Patty” to herself even in the privacy and loneliness … Continue reading →