For those readers who believe nothing original or new is being written these days, check out and marvel at Jen Fawkes’s Daughters of Chaos, a shapeshifting, powerhouse novel that balances explorations of history, myth, identity, and monsters. Fawkes’s novel, told in letters and a variety of forms, tells the story of Sylvie Swift as she […]
“Daughters of Chaos” by Jen Fawkes
October 1, 2024 by Leave a Comment
Daughters of Chaos (Overlook Press 2024) by Jen Fawkes begins at the end, in 1877, with Sylvie’s graveside promise to her longtime partner: “ ‘I’m going to write it all down, Hannah,’ I said as I knelt beside her grave, my fingertips piercing the cool earth. ‘Maybe I’ll give it to the girls. Maybe I […]
“Flags on the Bayou” by James Lee Burke
September 29, 2024 by 1 Comment
James Lee Burke writes in his author’s notes that he considers his historical novel Flags on the Bayou (Atlantic Monthly Press 2023) to be his best work. That is saying a lot considering Burke’s long and brilliant career as a novelist in which he continues to garner both critical and commercial successes. Flags on the […]
Denise S. Robbins
September 25, 2024 by Leave a Comment
Denise S. Robbins is a Pushcart-nominated author from Madison, Wisconsin. Her debut novel, The Unmapping, will be published with Bindery Books in June 2025. Her interviews and writing have also appeared in Chicago Review of Books, Creative Independent, Gulf Coast Journal, The Normal School, Barcelona Review, and more.
“What Doesn’t Kill You Opens Your Heart”: Denise S. Robbins interviews author Max Hipp
September 25, 2024 by Leave a Comment
Introduction The author, teacher, and musician Max Hipp is a creature of the South, which becomes immediately clear in the first sentence of new debut short story collection—and every sentence after that. What Doesn’t Kill You Opens Your Heart (Cool Dog Sound 2024) is an honest, brutal, and necessary dive into the heart of the […]
“If Lost” by Clint Bowman
September 25, 2024 by Leave a Comment
To quote the opening lines of a Mary Chapin Carpenter song, “To be alive is to know your purpose / It’s your place in the world.” While “A Place in the World” does not rate inclusion on the playlist of songs to listen to while reading Clint Bowman’s new book, If Lost (Loblolly Press 2024), […]