Quill and Quire

BOOK REVIEWS

Empress of the Night

By Eva Stachniak

Eva Stachniak’s previous novel, The Winter Palace, was a well-received work of historical fiction about Catherine the Great. Narrated by one of Catherine’s most trusted attendants, Varvara, it spanned the future monarch’s arrival in Russia ... Read More »

April 16, 2014 | Filed under: Fiction: Novels

Old Hat

By Rob Winger

Old Hat is Rob Winger’s third collection of poems, following his acclaimed first book, Muybridge’s Horse (2007), and his second, a collection of ghazals entitled The Chimney Stone (2010). Winger’s new book is his first ... Read More »

April 16, 2014 | Filed under: Poetry

Designated Mourner

By Catherine Owen

Catherine Owen’s new poetry collection is a record of grief chronicling the author’s experience of bereavement following the death of her spouse. In the vein of Carol Ann Duffy’s Raptures, Designated Mourner tenderly surrenders Owen’s ... Read More »

April 16, 2014 | Filed under: Poetry

Satisfying Clicking Sound

By Jason Guriel

Poet and critic Jason Guriel solidifies his place in CanLit with substantial contributions to both fields. Guriel is no stranger to the lofty pages of Poetry Foundation, the website of the Chicago magazine Poetry, and ... Read More »

April 16, 2014 | Filed under: Poetry

M x T

By Sina Queyras

The title of Sina Queyras’s new collection suggests an equation for measuring grief – “memory x time” – while parodying the reduction of human emotions to algebraic formulae. This pataphysical play continues in the form ... Read More »

April 16, 2014 | Filed under: Poetry

★ as if

By E.D. Blodgett

To reimagine the lyric form, one must possess a deep knowledge of its history. E.D. Blodgett, professor emeritus of comparative literature, author of more than 20 books of poetry, criticism, and translation, and recipient of ... Read More »

April 16, 2014 | Filed under: Poetry

★ The Quiet

By Anne-Marie Turza

Anne-Marie Turza’s debut collection hits like a shock of black river water. Its combination of chilling imagery and stark sentiment stings in the best possible way. The title piece is broken into three parts, divided ... Read More »

April 16, 2014 | Filed under: Poetry