Monsoon Season: Interview
I only just found this interview that I gave to Cass McMain at the beginning of the summer. She asked some great questions and I got to talk about many of my fa...
Author: Katie O'Rourke
Book Review: To Kill a Mockingbird
This book was enjoyable the second time, but I couldn’t help thinking it would never have been published in today’s market. The trial isn’t even mentioned until...
Book Review: The Falls
This is the first Joyce Carol Oates novel I’ve read and I enjoyed it. The Falls is a sweeping multi-generational, family saga that starts in the fifties and end...
Bradley Manning/climate change/employment discrimination/Fourth of July/fracking/global 1%/marriage equality/Monsanto/occupy/patriotism/war on women
How to Celebrate the Fourth (Without Being “Patriotic”)
Patriotism has always been an uncomfortable thing to me. I’m happy to be an American and I appreciate the (unearned) advantages that come from my citizenship. ...
Book Review: A Storm of Swords
Okay, so I never read fantasy. Like, never. I mean, I read The Hobbit in the sixth grade because it was required. Since then, nothing. As you know if you’ve rea...
Interview: Cass McMain
Cass McMain is a friend I’ve made by participating in the writer’s website, authonomy.com. First, I knew her as a thoughtful critiquer- she will only give advic...
Claire Massud/Jennifer Eagan/Jennifer Weiner/Lena Dunham/literary criticism/New York Times/Pulitzer/Salon
One-sided Catfight
I have agreed with Jennifer Weiner in the past. When she draws attention to the focus on male writers in literary criticism and the dismissal of women writers o...
What’s so Great about Gatsby?
After a really slow start, a story did emerge. Unfortunately, there is not one likeable character in the entire thing. I did not root for Gatsby to get the vapi...
Reading Gatsby
I’m currently rereading The Great Gatsby. I read it in high school, but I don’t remember anything much beyond the fact that I liked it. I was one of those rare ...
Book Review: The Inheritance of Loss
I have read books that sacrifice plot for character or character for plot, but this is the first book I’ve ever read that sacrifices both for setting. Kiran Des...