Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A tour de force, Man Booker Prize winner that reminds me of a film script in its presentation. (The Brits like unusual approaches to novel writing; in other words, they like novels to be novel when it comes to awarding prizes.)

As I was reading the book, I was never sure whether I liked the book or not. Ten-year-old Willie dies of a disease that could easily be cured today, and his father, who is the president during a terrible civil war, feels misery beyond words, while everyone around them, including ghosts, find no lack of words.

The reader needs to be aware of "pointillism," which, I think, has caused quite a few readers some discomfort. You might also think of creating a collage. 

It is a quick read.



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New Voices In American Poetry: An Anthology by David Allan Evans

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Published in 1973, this collection displays the work of young writers born between 1928 through 1944 (as I recall) and publishing their first work in the 1960s. Most of them had published one, two or three books of poetry and a few had published a novel or a book of short stories. Probably half have now since been forgotten, while a few, like Alice Walker and Charles Simic, went on to establish national reputations. Almost all of them were working as writing teachers at the time of the publication of the anthology. In other words, they were part of the explosion of writing programs across the country, and if their poems did not heavily influence the state of poetry, they played a significant role as teachers.

There are 45 poets in this collection, with no more than a handful of poems for each, in 265 pages. Each poet includes a brief statement about one of the poems. Some of these are interesting, some not so much.



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American Histories: Stories by John Edgar Wideman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A collection of rhapsodic stories that reminded me of Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man," especially "Williamsburg Bridge." Most of the stories are quite short and remind me of what people referred to as "voice pieces" forty years ago.



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The Shakespeare Requirement by Julie Schumacher

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A fun book to read. As a retired English professor, I can vouch for the accurate reporting of academic life illustrated in Julie Schumacher's book (thinly disguised as a novel). The nearly happy ending is the sole fictionalization of the events described. And maybe the names provided the characters. Higher Ed is every bit as dysfunctional as all other areas of life. We're all mad, incompetent, and reliant on wishful thinking and the goodwill (usually of women) of others.

A delightful cast of characters fumble their way through the labyrinth of higher ed. The hairless dog is a hoot.



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