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meerak5000's review
5.0
Did I pick up this book because it was the cheapest book at the Strand? Yes.
Is it now one of my favorite collections ever? Yes.
Is it now one of my favorite collections ever? Yes.
missnicelady's review
4.0
Some really good stuff in this year's collection. Perfect for reading a thing or two during commutes.
nikogatts's review
5.0
Really great collection this year. My favorites:
-"A Refuge for Jae-In Doe: Fugues in the Key of English Major," the aftermath of assault, written in poetry and prose, by Seo-Young Chu
-"My Family's Slave," an essay by Alex Tizon
-"Collective Nouns for Humans in the Wild," a poem by Kathy Fish
-"The Uninhabitable Earth," a series of essays on how climate disaster is even closer and likelier than we think; horror nonfiction by David Wallace-Wells
-"Divine Providence," a story of a life's work that becomes somewhat Sisyphean, by Quim Monzo, translated from Catalan by Peter Bush
-"An Excerpt from Blacks and the Master/Slave Relation," an interview with Frank B. Wilderson III on the afro-pessimism movement and redefining the concept of slavery
-"An Excerpt from The Antipodes," a play in which a story is written by committee, by Annie Baker
I feel like they could have picked funnier pictures for Chris (simpsons artist)'s selection.
-"A Refuge for Jae-In Doe: Fugues in the Key of English Major," the aftermath of assault, written in poetry and prose, by Seo-Young Chu
-"My Family's Slave," an essay by Alex Tizon
-"Collective Nouns for Humans in the Wild," a poem by Kathy Fish
-"The Uninhabitable Earth," a series of essays on how climate disaster is even closer and likelier than we think; horror nonfiction by David Wallace-Wells
-"Divine Providence," a story of a life's work that becomes somewhat Sisyphean, by Quim Monzo, translated from Catalan by Peter Bush
-"An Excerpt from Blacks and the Master/Slave Relation," an interview with Frank B. Wilderson III on the afro-pessimism movement and redefining the concept of slavery
-"An Excerpt from The Antipodes," a play in which a story is written by committee, by Annie Baker
I feel like they could have picked funnier pictures for Chris (simpsons artist)'s selection.
hayese35's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
emilyinherhead's review against another edition
3.0
Not all of these pieces were winners for me, but as usual, it's a pretty solid collection overall. I was happy to see an excerpt from Hunger by Roxane Gay included, and I also enjoyed:
— "My Family's Slave" (Alex Tizon)
— "A Refuge for Jae-in Doe: Fugues in the Key of English Major" (Seo-Young Chu)
— Chris (Simpsons artist)'s comics
— "Meanwhile, on Another Planet" (Gunnhild Oyehaug)
— "Your Black Friend" (Ben Passmore)
— "A Fair Accusation of Sexual Harrassment or A Witch Hunt?" (Lucy Huber)
— "On Future and Working Through What Hurts" (Hanif Abdurraqib)
— "My Family's Slave" (Alex Tizon)
— "A Refuge for Jae-in Doe: Fugues in the Key of English Major" (Seo-Young Chu)
— Chris (Simpsons artist)'s comics
— "Meanwhile, on Another Planet" (Gunnhild Oyehaug)
— "Your Black Friend" (Ben Passmore)
— "A Fair Accusation of Sexual Harrassment or A Witch Hunt?" (Lucy Huber)
— "On Future and Working Through What Hurts" (Hanif Abdurraqib)
ldandridge's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this. It was fascinating to see what high school students viewed as important, and I definitely found pieces in here that I really love and will recommend to others. I didn’t love every piece, but I think I can definitely say I got something out of each one.
bibliocyclist's review against another edition
4.0
"In between scientific reticence and science fiction is science itself."
"A group of grandmothers is a tapestry. A group of toddlers, a jubilance (see also a bewailing). A group of librarians is an enlightenment. A group of visual artists is a bioluminescence. A group of short story writers is a Flannery. A group of musicians is—a band."
"When I swim at the public pool, I wear sunglasses so I can admire the hairless chest of the nineteen-year-old lifeguard. I love it that he, a child, really, is guarding me, fiercest of warriors, a mother, strong as stinky cheese, with a ripe, moldy, melted rotten center of such intense complexity and flavor it would kill a boy of his tender age."
"A group of grandmothers is a tapestry. A group of toddlers, a jubilance (see also a bewailing). A group of librarians is an enlightenment. A group of visual artists is a bioluminescence. A group of short story writers is a Flannery. A group of musicians is—a band."
"When I swim at the public pool, I wear sunglasses so I can admire the hairless chest of the nineteen-year-old lifeguard. I love it that he, a child, really, is guarding me, fiercest of warriors, a mother, strong as stinky cheese, with a ripe, moldy, melted rotten center of such intense complexity and flavor it would kill a boy of his tender age."
kpjayan's review against another edition
5.0
This is where I am at this point.. my head is reeling... Will take a while to sink in...
"...and it really was extremely sudden, the way it struck him that, good heavens, he understood nothing, nothing at all about anything, for Christ's sake, nothing at all about the world, which was a most terrifying realization, especially the way it came to him in all its banality, vulgarity, at a sickeningly ridiculous level, but this was the point, he said, the way that he, at age 44, had become aware of how utterly stupid he seemed to himself, how empty, how utterly blockheaded he had been in his understanding of the world these last 44 years, for, as he realized by the river, he had not only misunderstood it, but had not understood anything about anything"
"...and it really was extremely sudden, the way it struck him that, good heavens, he understood nothing, nothing at all about anything, for Christ's sake, nothing at all about the world, which was a most terrifying realization, especially the way it came to him in all its banality, vulgarity, at a sickeningly ridiculous level, but this was the point, he said, the way that he, at age 44, had become aware of how utterly stupid he seemed to himself, how empty, how utterly blockheaded he had been in his understanding of the world these last 44 years, for, as he realized by the river, he had not only misunderstood it, but had not understood anything about anything"
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