Short Takes III: John Updike

Fun-sized distillations of prose and poetry.  Self-contained nuggets of literary craft. Oliver’s Evolution His parents had not meant to abuse him; they had meant to love him, and did love him.  But Oliver had come late in their little pack of offspring, at a time when the challenge of child-rearing was wearing thin, and he proved susceptible to mishaps.  A big fetus, cramped in the mother’s womb, he was born with in-turned feet, and learned to crawl with corrective casts up to his ankles.  When they were at last removed, he cried in terror, because he thought those heavy plaster … Continue reading Short Takes III: John Updike

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Father of Lies, by Brian Evenson @ NYJB

Eldon Fochs is a Provost in the Corporation of the Blood of the Lamb, also known as “Bloodites.” The fictional Bloodite religion bears outward features to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, with recommendation cards for entry into temple ceremonies and a hierarchy of leadership. Fochs visits Alexander Feshtig, a devout Bloodite psychiatrist, in order to curtail his disturbing thoughts and bad dreams. This visit sets off a chain of events that lay bare unspeakable evils in Father of Lies by Brian Evenson’s. Originally written in 1998, Father of Lies was reprinted by Coffee House Press along … Continue reading Father of Lies, by Brian Evenson @ NYJB

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Translation Tuesdays: The Iliad: A New Translation by Caroline Alexander @ NYJB

After ten years of war, soldiers have grown weary. The leadership now endures uncouth criticism of its policy, accusations of self-interest and self-aggrandizement become commonplace. The gods remain fickle, taking sides and influencing the ground game. Some things never change. Continue reading Translation Tuesdays: The Iliad: A New Translation by Caroline Alexander @ NYJB

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