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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Promoting New and Unexpected Crossings: A Conversation with Leonora Djament, by Aitana Bellido Interviews [email protected] Mon, 07/01/2024 - 15:34 Leonora Djament has been editorial director of the Argentine publishing house Eterna Cadencia... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2024-07-01 20:34:20 UTC ]
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“Through Multiculturalism We Become Better Humans”: A Conversation with Vonani Bila, by Ming Di Interviews [email protected] Thu, 06/13/2024 - 15:21 Vonani Bila with his mother and his son. Courtesy of Mark Waller, 2010.Vonani Bila (b. 1972) grew... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2024-06-13 20:21:36 UTC ]
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I love it when a text centers the dynamics of conversation. In my own life, talking to others gets me out of my head, and introduces me to possibilities I would never have dreamed of alone. I think of a quote by the activist Valerie Kaur, which my local bookshop has printed on some of […] The... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2024-06-12 11:00:00 UTC ]
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With Mother's Day fast approaching, perhaps you have forgotten to get a gift for the mother or maternal figure in your life—or perhaps you are a mother and are mulling the multivarious meanings of motherhood. If either is true, perhaps this list is for you. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-05-09 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The Irish author discusses “Long Island,” the sequel to his 2009 novel “Brooklyn.” Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2024-05-03 19:34:04 UTC ]
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Can We Truly Be Free of Our Past? A Conversation with Wendy Chen, by Xixuan Collins Interviews [email protected] Mon, 04/29/2024 - 15:10 An epic family saga that spans over one hundred years and two countries, Wendy Chen’s powerful, lyrical debut,... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2024-04-29 20:10:46 UTC ]
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Anna Härmälä’s new graphic novel, 'Single Mothering,' offers an all too reliable, often hilarious account of the social and emotional challenges facing single mothers. An eight-page excerpt. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-04-24 04:00:00 UTC ]
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I first met Crystal Hana Kim at Women and Children First Bookstore in Chicago in 2017 for a book event, just after she just won the 2017 PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers. She greeted me with warm enthusiasm and we spoke about Korean history. Her debut novel, If You Leave... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-04-02 08:54:17 UTC ]
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The Liturgy and Anxiety of Ordinary Lives: In Conversation with Rigoberto González, by Darlington Chibueze Anuonye Interviews [email protected] Tue, 03/26/2024 - 08:23 Rigoberto González / Photo by Mahsa HojjatiRecently, I scheduled a zoom call... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2024-03-26 13:23:19 UTC ]
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Leslie Jamison's latest book explores the facets of her identity and how each helps inform her art. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-03-22 10:00:00 UTC ]
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Former nun Catherine Coldstream shares the story of her 12 years at a Carmelite monastery in a debut memoir out this month, 'Cloistered' (St. Martins), which earned a starred review from PW. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-03-19 04:00:00 UTC ]
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A number of novels, memoirs, and graphic novels out this week explore the roles of mothers and the experience of motherhood in distinct ways. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-03-08 05:00:00 UTC ]
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The following is from Feeding Ghosts: A Graphic Memoir by Tessa Hulls. __________________________________ Excerpted from Feeding Ghosts: A Graphic Memoir by Tessa Hulls. Published by MCD/FSG, an imprint of Macmillan. Copyright © 2024 by Tessa Hulls. All rights reserved. Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-03-07 09:54:41 UTC ]
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Over 500 members of the KidLit community—including Sabaa Tahir, Angie Thomas, and Jason Reynolds—have signed an open letter to the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, calling for the organization to break its silence on the ongoing genocide in Gaza, which has so far claimed the... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-03-04 19:00:45 UTC ]
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The Many Worlds of Anna May Wong: A Conversation with Katie Gee Salisbury, by Susan Blumberg-Kason Interviews [email protected] Wed, 02/21/2024 - 15:24 Katie Gee Salisbury first came across Anna May Wong when she was doing a college internship and... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2024-02-21 21:24:15 UTC ]
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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 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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Those Who Create Desire an Audience: A Conversation with Darlington Chibueze Anuonye, by Anthony Chibueze Ukwuoma Interviews [email protected] Tue, 11/28/2023 - 15:31 Darlington Chibueze Anuonye and his mother, July 2005, on the occasion of... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2023-11-28 21:31:59 UTC ]
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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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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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