Tag Archives: National Book Award winner

“I want to be alone, but not too alone.”

Posted on May 3, 2018 by Kate Stover

I disagree with the description on the back of this book, which says that one of Jonathan Franzen’s “essential themes” is “the hidden persistence of loneliness in postmodern, imperial America.” Rather, it seems to me that in every one of … Continue reading →

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“Is the soul solid, like iron?”

Posted on November 24, 2017 by Kate Stover

The poet Mary Oliver continues: “Or, is it tender and breakable, like the wings of a moth in the beak of the owl?” With these questions, Oliver opens the poem “Some Questions You Might Ask,” which has inspired artists, videographers, … Continue reading →

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