“Somewhere between the ages of twelve and twenty-one, he lost the superpower to make mundane things magical,” writes Garrett Curbow about protagonist James Finch, in Curbow’s debut novel Whispers of Ink and Starlight (Lake Union 2026) . This fantastical book aims at re-enlivening that magical capacity—for James, and for the reader. James is a student […]
“Charlie-Man” by Thomas Cullen
May 4, 2026 by 2 Comments
Thomas Cullen’s debut novel Charlie-Man (Brandylane 2025) is a slow-burn of a coming-of-age story—a paced, environmental read that takes us into the world of an elite preparatory boys’ school in Richmond, Virginia, in the mid-1990s. We meet protagonist Charlie Stewart, a rising high school senior, as he is about to jump off a dam into […]
Hilary Vidalakis
April 29, 2026 by Leave a Comment
Hilary Vidalakis is a former journalist, park ranger, and prescribed fire technician who now writes and edits from her home in the Bronx, NY, overlooking the Mahicantuck (Hudson) River. She is mom to two wild girls. Her favorite reads include nature writing, poetry, memoir, and children’s literature.