Book Review: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead My rating: 4 of 5 stars A nonlinear narrative composed of straightforward, at times lyrical, writing, The Underground Railroad tells the story of Cora, a slave girl whose escape of the plantation leads to conflict and loss and love and meditations on what it means to be free. Whitehead’sContinue reading “Book Review: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead”

Book Review: The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer

The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer My rating: 5 of 5 stars A stream-of-consciousness narrative tackling dual themes of mental illness (schizophrenia, in particular) and grief, “The Shock of the Fall” follows 19-year-old Matthew Homes as he seeks to write his story, partly on his treatment program’s computer and partly on the typewriterContinue reading “Book Review: The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer”

Good Reads = crazy true stories + great writing

Some of my favorite longform stories from the last few months. The Girl Detectives by Marin Cogan, Topic A student club at the University of Pittsburgh takes on unsolved, real world mysteries — and just happens to be dominated by women. Escaping Kakuma by Louis Bien, SB Nation I hadn’t read an SB Nation feature in aContinue reading “Good Reads = crazy true stories + great writing”

Good Reads: Little league, a horseman, and death row

This is the third in a new series of weekly posts recommending well-written narrative nonfiction/longform articles. This week’s picks: The Undefeated Champions of Defeat City by Kathy Dobie, GQ Artfully written, this piece introduces North Camden, New Jersey, a city known for drugs and violence, and Bryan Morton, a North Camden native who decided to combat decay by startingContinue reading “Good Reads: Little league, a horseman, and death row”