Book Reviews John K. Cox Jurij Koch / Courtesy of Domowina-Verlag In the 1950s, a girl whom Jurij Koch knew in high school moved away from their hometown of Cottbus in East Germany. It was a case, he says in his recent memoir, of “Weg von Ulbricht, hin zu Adenauer” (Away from Ulbricht, over to Adenauer). Her mother took the girl to the West, before the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961. This is a familiar enough arc of events, but, as it turns out, the motivation behind the move is probably not something that most people outside of Germany would have considered. The reason was ethnic. Little Greta was growing up surrounded by Sorbs in the southeastern part of the country. The Sorbian language reminded her mother of Polish, and she had had quite enough of the Poles in her pre-1945 home farther east. In addition, Greta’s family was Protestant and they felt awash in a “Catholic sea.” So off they went, leaving the author of this autobiography—who, well, yes, had a crush on Greta—scratching his head. Like so many other scenes in this engaging book, this story blends the customary with the unexpected to stretch our understanding of what is “German.” Like so many other scenes in this engaging book, Koch’s memoir blends the customary with the unexpected to stretch our understanding of what is “German.” Windrad auf dem Dach (Domowina-Verlag, 2016) is the second volume of Koch’s memoirs to be published in German. Currently in his... Continue reading at 'World Literature Today'
[ World Literature Today | 2020-01-27 20:47:13 UTC ]
Esmeralda Santiago’s book When I Was Puerto Rican debuted 30 years ago. This memoir introduced us to Negi (Santiago), a pre-teen with a captivating voice who chronicles her life in rural Puerto Rico in the 1950s. In Santiago’s own words, the memoir captures a world that no longer exists in... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2024-08-28 11:00:00 UTC ]
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Hannah Silva examines the (not so) shocking similarities between quantum physics and queer dating. | Lit Hub Memoir August brought some great book covers, and a lot of them were slippery. | Lit Hub Design “I had been writing my diaries on the notepad app of my phone, when it went the way of so […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-08-28 10:30:20 UTC ]
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Exploring the Burning Questions: A Conversation with Cara Lopez Lee, by Susan Blumberg-Kason Interviews [email protected] Tue, 08/27/2024 - 15:32 I first came across Cara Lopez Lee on a listserv group (remember those!) for authors who write about... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2024-08-27 20:32:44 UTC ]
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A new memoir by the onetime national security adviser shows how the former president’s insecurities and weaknesses harmed U.S. foreign policy. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2024-08-27 09:03:11 UTC ]
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New novels by Sally Rooney and Richard Powers, a memoir by the first Black woman on the Supreme Court — and more. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2024-08-27 09:01:50 UTC ]
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In all of Martha Baillie’s books you can feel her sister. Her words offer a portal to the multiplistic experiences of existence—to understand better how cut off we can be from each other and where true connection flickers too. This year, Baillie’s memoir There is No Blue was published by Granta... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2024-08-23 11:00:00 UTC ]
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The new memoir 'That Librarian' by Amanda Jones is a troubling portrait of America's culture war over censorship and book banning Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2024-08-22 10:00:07 UTC ]
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Perspectives on Walking: A Lit List, by James Fawcett & Madeline Meyers Lit Lists [email protected] Wed, 08/21/2024 - 08:53 In the summer of 2022 I (James Fawcett) walked from Denver to Durango on the Colorado Trail. I started the walk alone... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2024-08-21 13:53:38 UTC ]
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Perspectives on Walking: A Lit List, by James Fawcett & Madeline Myers Lit Lists [email protected] Wed, 08/21/2024 - 08:53 In the summer of 2022 I (James Fawcett) walked from Denver to Durango on the Colorado Trail. I started the walk alone and... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2024-08-21 13:53:38 UTC ]
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Catherine Taylor's memoir of political and sexual awakening set in South Yorkshire wins the 2024 TLS Ackerley Prize in England. The post Catherine Taylor Wins London’s 2024 TLS Ackerley Prize appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-08-16 22:00:59 UTC ]
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In “Imminent,” the former intelligence official who ran a once-secret program shares some of what he knows. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2024-08-16 14:21:57 UTC ]
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Anna Marie Tendler’s mordant account of her life suggests a single source for her pain. Continue reading at The Atlantic
[ The Atlantic | 2024-08-16 11:00:00 UTC ]
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The U.S. Army combat veteran and author of the memoir 'Snapshots Sent Home: From Afghanistan, Iraq, Ukraine' addresses the the character, and complications, of works written in the midst of war. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-08-16 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Take a literary road trip across America, with book recommendations for all 50 states. | Lit Hub “Although I have not inherited a physical plot, I’ve inherited dual impulses related to how I define home.” Sadiya Ansari on family, place and inheritance in South Asia and North America. | Lit Hub... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-08-14 10:30:11 UTC ]
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Political histories, a courtroom drama and the memoir of a daughter of the South Side illuminate the legacy of the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2024-08-14 09:01:30 UTC ]
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Navid Sinaki on Scheherazade, secrets, and finding his voice as a young, queer Iranian immigrant. | Lit Hub Memoir “What do we inherit from trauma? Complicated stories, frayed genetics, and many, many hidden secrets.” Danzy Senna, Kristopher Jansma, Rosie Schaap and more take the Lit Hub... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-08-13 10:30:55 UTC ]
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Moon Unit Zappa's memoir is a self-portrait of an insecure and often confused child, worshipful of her absent father, Frank Zappa, and thirsty for maternal affection. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2024-08-13 10:00:51 UTC ]
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Kristi Coulter’s memoir Exit Interview might inspire you to tell your boss what you really think. Continue reading at The Atlantic
[ The Atlantic | 2024-08-09 15:30:00 UTC ]
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A life in five parts in a changing France is wrought powerfully on stage in this adaptation of Annie Ernaux’s book The Years Continue reading at The Conversation
[ The Conversation | 2024-08-09 10:28:43 UTC ]
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In the memoir “Becoming Little Shell: A Landless Indian’s Journey Home,” Chris La Tray weaves together personal and tribal history. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2024-08-08 18:23:50 UTC ]
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