WordgatheringA Journal of Disability Poetry and Literature |
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Book Reviews and Excerpts in this IssueBook reviews and excerpts in this issue focus primarily on fiction. Of the four books reviewed, two are novels, both oriented to younger audiences. Buffalo Steel by Lizz Schumer, set in the aftermath of the closing of steel mills in "the Queen City," follows a teenage girl's journey into anorexia. Suzanne Kamata's Gadget Girl, written as a young adult story, deals with issues of cerebral palsy and bi-racial identity. David Rawson's Fuckhead is a unique mixture of post-modern memoir and literary criticism that examines disability in sibling realtionships. The final book reviewed is an anthology. In Monday Coffee and Other Stories, Darolyn Jones and Liz Whiteacre have collected the writings of mothers of children with disabilities about their experiences.
The two book excerpts give some space to genre's of disability fiction that need more exposure. Like Schumer's book, Kristin Witucki's The Transcriber is a young adult novel, but this one centers around the experiences of young boy's relationship with his blind sister. Gemini Rising, B. J. Horton's science fiction novel invites readers into a psychological thought experiment.
A conversation with Lyn Jones and Liz Whiteacre about the process of creating Morning Coffee can be found in the interview section of this issue. Poet and essayist Liz Whiteacre is a frequent journal contributor whose other can be located through the "Author Index." More Work by some of the above authors can also be found in past issues of Wordgathering, including excerpts from Schumer's and Horton's books, as well as poetry by Schumer. A review of Kristen Witucki's The Transcriber is forthcoming in the June issue. Wordgathering continues to seek out new work that makes a contribution to the field of disability literature. Writers who are interested in having their books reviewed should check the submission guidelines and send a query briefly describing their work. Writers interested in reviewing books can contact us at comments@wordgathering.com. |
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