Tao Lin’s Muumuu House: Romantic Realism in Two Books of Poetry

Literary realism, like most literary classifications, is vague and ambiguous and difficult to define. In some capacity, it can be characterized as a reaction against, or an answer to, literary romanticism. The current state of affairs is such that panic ensues with every newspaper that closes its doors and Armageddon is exclaimed when new ideas like Twitter proliferate. Killings are over- or under-aggrandized, depending. Wars are either heroic or dastardly; even having no stance is a taking a stance. The […]

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Conversation: Agriculture Reader No. 3

A warm and welcoming term, “agriculture” at its simplest cultivates and gives way to growth, in turn providing food and other fundamental necessities. And the writing in this annual arts journal, as well as Joey Parlett’s artwork, is in this sense fantastically cohesive and naturally grown, cultivated with care from the minds of thirty talented contributors. Nearly every piece embraces an introspective, philosophical undertone, while at the same time maintaining a naturalness characteristic to writing that has sprung organically from […]

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