Books Received: Adichie, Connor, Keys, Vartnaw



As I recover from Harare North (that sad, sad story), I am diving into The Thing Around Your Neck, a collection of short stories by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie to be released by Alfred A. Knopf (N.Y.) on 26 June 2009. I know I read the title story somewhere on line a long time ago; I think it was on Prospect Magazine or Per Contra;it dealt with the African Diaspora in the USA (what I would like to call Diasporic Adichie).

A few poetry anthologies await my attention. I think I will start with Julia Connor's Oar, published by Rattlesnake Press,then Bill Vartnaw's Suburbs of My Childhood (Beatitude Press), and Kerry Shawn Keys' The Burning Mirror (Pressa Press).

With the exception of Adichie's book, the others are from small presses, and I will read them in celebration of Small Presses Month, March. Remember, March is the same month that houses the World Book Day, and that means more reading, as Petina Gappah demonstrated by giving away some really good books. She is sending me a copy of Jhumpa Lahiri's Unaccustomed Earth.


This reading is healthy because it will generate a few book reviews; I am already working on Harare North and Oar. Next in line is The Thing Around Your Neck (what a title).

Done showing off my books (I never hesitate to do that...)

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