I had never heard of any of Roxanne Gay's work before reading the majority of this essay collection, and I can't believe I haven't discovered her sooner! She writes in an incredibly conversational, entertaining, and viscerally vulnerable way that I found myself learning more and more about her as if she were an old friend with every passing essay. The book is made up of various previously published essays that all broadly circulate around feminist ideologies and topics - mainly how Gay views herself as an imperfect but driven woman who would rather be a flawed feminist than no feminist at all. I was really struck by how she blended her loves for things like The Hunger Games series and Scrabble into topics like sexual abuse, harassment, rape, and other mature subjects. Her identity as a black woman as well as a feminist was very interesting since I felt like it gives all of the essays even more unique voices on a wide range of topics. I definitely recommend this book to those who identify as feminists, those who don't, and those who are willing to learn more about what it can look like to more fully lean into being a "bad" feminist.



Some of my favorite quotes from Bad Feminist:

"I would rather be a bad feminist than no feminist at all."

"When feminism falls short of our expectations, we decide the problem is with feminism rather than with the flawed people who act in the name of the movement."

"Books are often far more than just books."

"Abandon the cultural myth that all female friendships must be bitchy, toxic, or competitive. This myth is like heels and purses--pretty but designed to SLOW women down."

Poetry chapbooks have never been quite my thing. Granted, I have only read a handful over the course of my college career. But while I can still say that it's not my go-to genre, this chapbook did something that I have discovered I really like to do as a writer. It responds to an ancient story that appears to have little to no similarities to our modern society and religious views in a way that reminds us of how humans can be both terrible and beautiful at the same time. A story about a woman - a mother - being buried alive inside of the wall of a building based on the belief that a soul was needed to keep the structure upright - surely this kind of tale couldn't be relatable to the people of our day and age? Davis does a phenomenal job of retelling this ballad in a manner that gives the woman a voice, responding to the jarring details with her own passionate voice and perspective, and expanding upon the complex concept that is being a woman and existing within a female body. The four parts of this collection (meant to symbolize the four walls of a building) reveal that a story from long ago about the objectification, mistreatment, and destruction of a human life and body can happen in physical as well as mental, emotional, and spiritual ways to countless women in countless ways. Essentially, being "buried alive" can look like more than being cemented into a wall. I would categorize it as slightly political as well as intimately emotional poetry that made me really think about not only the seemingly limitless boundaries of the expression of poetry but also how writers have and can continue to respond to narratives from the past in manners that impact the conversations and sentiments of our present and future.


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One of my favorite lines from the poem "Interviewing Two Girls, Ages 10 and 8, About Being Buried Alive:"

"Would you let someone bury you alive for love?
               8. Hmmm ... no no.
             10. No."

If I had a time machine, I would go back and do a lot of things, but first I'd go back and read this book sooner because I waited way too long to finally pick it up! And let me tell you - I couldn't put it down! Luckily for me, I was on spring break and could finish almost all of it before heading back to school, which means classes and virtually no time to sit and read for fun. I was most intrigued with the premise of this story because I've always been drawn to nautical, swashbuckling narratives; I think that's a large part of why I'm currently writing a novel that rests on the very human desire to explore as well as marvel and fear the mysteries of the sea and the many stories of lore and mythology that have resulted from its inspiring presence. This story realistically portrays pirates, uses nautical language in a way that is possible to visualize and grasp, and possesses a love interest who is definitely swoonworthy and would give Will Turner a run for his money. This book's general aesthetic is Pirates of the Caribbean-esque in almost every way without dancing too closely to clichés that Levenseller could have leaned into if she wanted to regurgitate a story that has already been told. And while this story contains classic pirate lore, a fascination with the legend of Sirens (which is one of my favorite parts, if I might add), and the kind of vibe you'd expect from a story about a girl who plans her own capture upon her enemy's ship to be able to steal a sacred map, it houses a female heroine that seems too good to be true (I'll admit she seemed unrealistic at times) until aspects of her character and identity are revealed that make her into that much more of a volatile, strong, and unique woman as well as pirate. I am incredibly overjoyed that the sequel, Daughter of the Siren Queen, is already released and only wish I had more time to devour it like I did the first book!



Some of my favorite quotes from Daughter of the Pirate King:

“Lass, you've the face of an angel but the tongue of a snake.”

“Oh, the ridiculous things one has to do when one is a pirate.”

“Even a man who’s spent his whole life at sea has reason to fear her when she’s angry."

“When fancy strikes, a man gets this notion in his mind that everything a woman does is for him.”

This book has a structure unlike any I've really come across before, and I think this was definitely my favorite aspect of the work. I guess one could argue that the structure could be categorized more as a loose outline, but nevertheless, the way Momaday crafts a narrative that combines mythology, historical information, and personal anecdotes is very unique and made me as a reader get to decipher the loose but prevalent connections between the sections. One of my other favorite aspects of the work was everything I got to learn about the culture of the Kiowa tribe. I have never heard of or gotten the chance to learn about these peoples' rich history, religious belief system, various gods, or mistreatment by the US government (as is sadly a part of many Native American tribes' stories). I think it's incredibly important to be aware of stories like the Kiowa tribe's that Momaday tells and preserves so eloquently, especially now that this particular tribe no longer physically exists. I think one can argue that a book like this ensures that the legacy of the Kiowas will live on, and that's certainly a beautiful thought. 



My favorite quote from The Way to Rainy Mountain:

"A word has power in and of itself. It comes from nothing into sound and meaning; it gives origin to all things."

This is the kind of story I didn't realize I was missing for so long and that I know with certainty I will not soon forget. This story rescued me from an aggravatingly long reading slump and I feel rather indebted to it for returning me to a place reminiscent of silent reading times, hours of staying up to finish just one more chapter, and a feeling of peaceful joy in knowing that there is a place between the pages of a book to be returned to at the end of good and bad days. I think it's a combination of the whimsical, unique characters, lovingly magical world and magic system, and sense of beautiful whimsy that all combine into the story of Howl, Sophie, Michael, Calcifer, and a whole host of friends as well as bad guys. Funnily enough, I listened to the score from the 2004 film version of this story for nearly a whole year before ever even watching the film, and now I've finally read the book. I retraced the steps I usually take, cracking open the book last of all! I am so glad that I asked my friend if I could borrow her copy once she was done reading it and had it with me for a several hour bus ride in which I basically read the whole novel in two days! It's the kind of story I wanted to be fully immersed in the whole time, the kind of story that I'm not only searching to read again, but to write myself. And the main character Sophie felt so relatable throughout the entire story; I liked how she discovered her own powerful magic through the act of simply speaking things into existence and commanding respect. From the subtly sarcastic dialogue, unpredictable characters, unexpected plot twists and consequences as the results of magic, and a heart-warming happy ending, I can confidently say that while the film version is beautiful, it doesn't come anywhere near the well-crafted intricacies of this book. The version I read also had a bonus interview with the author in the back that gave insight on how she views her characters, particularly Howl, and I loved how she recognizes that nearly all of her female readers wish to marry Howl while she herself describes him as the kind of man she would never marry. I think I'd like to try to meet and talk writing with this Diana Wynne Jones someday!


Some of my favorite quotes from Howl's Moving Castle:

"I think we ought to live happily ever after."

"'Really, these wizards! You'd think no one had ever had a cold before! Well, what is it?' she asked, hobbling through the bedroom door onto the filthy carpet.
'I'm dying of boredom,' Howl said pathetically. 'Or maybe just dying.'"

"A heart's a heavy burden."

"It is quite a risk to spank a wizard for getting hysterical about his hair."

"I assure you, my friends, I am cone sold stober."

I will be the first to admit that a few years ago, I was really not a fan of poetry. It's still growing on me, but has certainly gained some favor in my eyes since I decided to try and start writing more of my own poetry. I read this collection from Li-Young Lee with my current literature class and was not the only student to share an opinion that bordered indifference and even frustration towards the text on multiple accounts. This collection deals with many different images and symbols that I found it easier for me to simply enjoy the beauty of the language rather than attempt to decipher what every little image was supposed to contribute to the larger narrative of the collection. In short, many of the poems seem to deal with themes concerning family members, grief, life, and the relationship the author has with his father who has since passed away. Many of the poems definitely went over my head, but Lee's beautiful writing style is such that just reading and taking in the content of each piece's images was fulfilling in and of itself. One of the observations a classmate of mine made that hasn't left me since is that the word "rose" can be interpreted as a physical flower or the past tense of the word "rise," which connects to a lot of death and resurrection imagery throughout the whole work. I have learned to love how many different angles poetry can be approached from. :)


One of my favorite excerpted lines from Lee's poem "Always a Rose":

"I know moments measured / by a kiss, or a tear, a pass of the / hand along a loved one’s face."