Reviewed by Jessi Lewis The Holy Mark is the story of Joseph Broussard, or “Joe,” who later becomes Father Anthony Miggliore, a priest of the Catholic Church in New Orleans. Joe’s story involves distinct conflicts between Joe’s family and the Catholic community regarding sexual attraction, the Church’s public relations, and the hidden and overt lifestyle […]
September Read of the Month: “The Holy Mark,” by Gregory Alexander
September 4, 2014 by Leave a Comment
August Read of the Month: “Hush Puppy,” by Lisa T. Cresswell
August 7, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Ana Reyes Corrine Lamb earns her nickname, “Hush Puppy,” in the opening pages of this young adult novel by giving away her lunch – a sack of hush puppies – to Jamie Armstrong, a poor boy who’s just moved to town. It’s a fitting introduction to her character, as later on, she will […]
July Read of the Month: “I Watched You Disappear,” by Anya Krugovoy Silver
July 8, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Sara Hughes When offering advice to writers, Henry James said, “Try to be one of those on whom nothing is lost.” In her second collection of poetry, I Watched You Disappear, Anya Silver demonstrates that she is a poet “on whom nothing is lost.” Constantly observing life through the lens of memory and […]
June Read of the Month: “Rough Beast,” by Tim Peeler
June 18, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Danilo Thomas Tim Peeler’s twelfth book, Rough Beast, issued by Future Cycle Press, concentrates on the life of Larry, a holler boy raised viciously. By utilizing narrative, anecdote, exemplar, and a perspective shift that attempts an objective glance at the subject matter, the four separate sections of poems that comprise Rough Beast parse […]
May Read of the Month: “Harlow,” by David Armand
May 7, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Dixon Hearne David Armand’s new novel, Harlow, is a compelling read on several levels. The story deals with universal themes of alienation, oppression, futility, resilience and hope – and all unfolding in raw and biting detail. Other reviewers have already parsed Harlow’s plot, character, setting, and theme. Far more salient in this new […]
April Read of the Month: “Wet Work,” by Donna Meredith
April 3, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Claire Hamner Matturro “This isn’t what Isaac Harewood hoped to buy with his money.” Not at all. Rather, in Wet Work, the latest novel by Tallahassee’s award-wining author Donna Meredith, Harewood expects to purchase a falsehood and restore his wealth at the expense of the well-being of the unsuspecting public. By donating millions […]