“Silence Became My Mother Tongue”: A Conversation with Sulaiman Addonia, by Anderson Tepper

Interviews Photo of Sulaiman Addonia by Alexander Meeus. For me, one of the most astounding books of this past year—which may have slipped your attention due to the pandemic—was Silence Is My Mother Tongue, the second novel by Ethiopian Eritrean writer Sulaiman Addonia (@sulaimanaddonia). Published last September by Graywolf Press, the novel is just now beginning to get the recognition it deserves: it was recently shortlisted for the Firecracker Award for Independently Published Literature and is a 2021 LAMBDA Literary Award finalist. Set in a refugee camp in Sudan, the novel defies expectations—shimmering with sensual detail, it charts the daily encounters and erotic dreams of an extraordinary cast of characters, with the inseparable siblings Saba and her mute brother, Hagos, at its center. Of course, since war erupted in Ethiopia’s Tigray region this past winter, Addonia’s work has only taken on more resonance. “I have been looking at the pictures of refugees fleeing Tigray and waiting outside the United Nations refugee agency office at Hamdayet in Sudan,” Addonia wrote in a New York Times editorial in late November, “the place through which my family and I passed decades ago, on our way to a refugee camp further inland. I was struck by the eyes of young children. Their gazes retreat and shift, as if their wide eyes have already become the trenches into which they will hide their childhood.” We spoke by email—Addonia... Continue reading at 'World Literature Today'

[ World Literature Today | 2021-05-18 13:43:22 UTC ]
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Two novelists have cut ties with PEN over its Mayim Bialik event and Gaza silence.

Two prominent novelists have broken with PEN America over the organization’s decision to platform controversial actor and outspoken ceasefire opponent Mayim Bialik, as well as its relative silence on the unfolding genocide in Gaza (which so far has claimed the lives of at least 120 writers,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2024-01-31 20:56:06 UTC ]
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Poet, Translator, Mirror: A Conversation with Miho Kinnas, by Renee H. Shea

Poet, Translator, Mirror: A Conversation with Miho Kinnas, by Renee H. Shea Interviews [email protected] Tue, 12/05/2023 - 15:32 Two-time Pushcart Prize nominee Miho Kinnas recently published Waiting for Sunset to Bury Red Camellias, her third book... Continue reading at World Literature Today

[ World Literature Today | 2023-12-05 21:32:32 UTC ]
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Desperate to Make Her Mother Smile, Nina Simon Wrote a Book

The author of “Mother-Daughter Murder Night” started working on her debut novel during a time of tremendous stress. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-10-26 09:02:09 UTC ]
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Write Who You Love: J. Ryan Stradal on Memorializing His Mother Through Fiction

Since my first novel was published, at almost every interview and live event, I get asked a version of the same question. Usually people seem just curious, but occasionally there are notes of hostility or amazement. They want to know why, and often how, I write my female protagonists. The answer... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-10-16 08:50:29 UTC ]
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Showing Up Every Day: A Conversation with Dewaine Farria, by Matt Gallagher

Showing Up Every Day: A Conversation with Dewaine Farria, by Matt Gallagher Interviews [email protected] Tue, 10/10/2023 - 15:38 Dewaine Farria belongs to the world. As a US Marine, he served in Jordan and Ukraine, and spent much of his... Continue reading at World Literature Today

[ World Literature Today | 2023-10-10 20:38:06 UTC ]
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New Religion Books for Kids Aim to Start Big Conversations

Forthcoming titles from religion and spirituality publishers aim to get families talking about right-to-life messaging, sex trafficking, climate change, houselessness, gender roles, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-09-22 04:00:00 UTC ]
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'Big Bang of Numbers' – The Conversation's book club explores how math alone could create the universe with author Manil Suri

A book-length thought experiment uses math to investigate some of life’s big questions. Continue reading at The Conversation

[ The Conversation | 2023-09-18 12:19:43 UTC ]
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“Vessels of Yearning”: A Conversation with Nishanth Injam, by Renee H. Shea

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[ World Literature Today | 2023-09-08 19:14:01 UTC ]
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A Reading List of Realistic Portraits of Mothers and Daughters in Literature

When reading about mothers and daughters, we might feel grateful we didn’t have to endure such conflict and trauma. We might long for what we, ourselves, never had. But then again, we might feel seen. More often, literature reflects troubling, toxic, or estranged mother-daughter relationships... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-09-01 09:35:26 UTC ]
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Clara Luper’s Diamonds and Acts of Radical Love: A Conversation with Cornel West, by Karlos K. Hill

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[ World Literature Today | 2023-08-30 13:14:20 UTC ]
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When Writing a Novel Bridges a Gap Between Mother and Daughter

I was deep in the throes of a slow-moving depression, feeling frustrated with a job I had held for seven years, and reeling from the disappointment of a first novel that debuted without the critical and commercial acclaim I was afraid to admit I desired. So I called my mother. “I think I need a […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-08-09 09:10:27 UTC ]
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What's behind our enduring fascination with wives and mothers who kill?

The framing of these stories of murder and mayhem have remained remarkably consistent since the invention of the printing press – and may reveal our own hidden fears and desires. Continue reading at The Conversation

[ The Conversation | 2023-08-07 13:03:29 UTC ]
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When the Sensibility of Art Meets the Pragmatism of Science: A Conversation with Tlotlo Tsamaase, by Darlington Chibueze Anuonye

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[ World Literature Today | 2023-07-26 20:13:50 UTC ]
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The Beauty and Importance of Our Names: A Conversation with Yejide Kilanko, by Darlington Chibueze Anuonye

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[ World Literature Today | 2023-07-24 14:09:47 UTC ]
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Stories Are All about Taking up Space: A Conversation with Ekemini Pius, by Darlington Chibueze Anuonye

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[ World Literature Today | 2023-07-20 20:08:39 UTC ]
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Interconnected Ecologies: A Conversation with Kathryn Savage, by Jennifer Croft

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[ World Literature Today | 2023-07-19 18:29:25 UTC ]
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Finding Her #ownvoice: A Conversation with Ivy Ngeow, by Susan Blumberg-Kason

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[ World Literature Today | 2023-07-18 20:46:55 UTC ]
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Crikey’s silence deafening as Guy Rundle launches new book | Weekly Beast

The site hasn’t published anything by its correspondent-at-large since he was roundly condemned for a piece about Brittany Higgins. Plus: News Corp at odds with the press councilFollow our Australia news live blog for the latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-07-07 02:47:34 UTC ]
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Letting a Wild Ride Be a Wild Ride: A Conversation with Amy Spangler, by Ipek Sahinler & Iclal Vanwesenbeeck

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[ World Literature Today | 2023-07-05 19:43:55 UTC ]
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