Endless Reads Review at PANK: Fast Machine by Elizabeth Ellen

My review is up at PANK!

Some books have a colour palette. Certain colours tinge the prose, or give the impression of appearing in the furniture, scenery, shadow, across the spread of tales. This occupies a bleed zone between poor remembrance of detail and a synesthetic approach to these details.

I know, for example, that not every story in Fast Machine features a rusty, 70s orange colour. And yet, it’s there carpeting my head. And, too, I see pinkish blood stains. I see the particular shade of brown which occupy themselves with breeding in dingy motel rooms.

This feeling, this back-of-the-mind consciousness, in response to Ellen’s work, is I think a tribute to the unity that exists therein.

 

Endless Reads Review at PANK: Zazen by Vanessa Veselka + Another Book Spine Poem

Here’s my latest review over at PANK! As ever, let me know what you think of it (and if you like the sound of Zazen, which I hope you do after this) down in the comments, if you’d like.

Further, Paul Lamb of Lucky Rabbit’s Foot has sent in a lovely Book Spine Poem, one that I think fits the tone of the wonderful Zazen quite well:

Waiting for Aphrodite

Far from any coast

A great current running

the message to the planet

Hard Scrabble

Passage of Darkness

I’ll be away from Friday, up in the North West Highlands, staying in a luxury bothy (an old stone cottage for walkers), and spending time with D and my friend A, stomping around in the bogland and on mountainside, hopefully snapping away pictures of it all. Look out for a probably picture-swamped post later in the week.