Among The Jumbled Heap

Michelle Huneven

There are novelists whom I read for the pleasure of their words, others I read for the beauty of the stories, and, if I'm honest, there are some I read simply because I feel like it's a cultural must (that damned Western Cannon), but then there are novels that I seem drawn to for psychological reasons--often as not with no rational basis. Michelle Huneven's books fall in this category. I read her to be a better human. I read to find some solace. Huneven's novels are positive, weighty thing...

On becoming a famous poet…

Want to know how to become the most important poet in America over night? Jim Behrle has the answer: How you can become the most important poet in America overnight. Here's a snippet: There are many paths through the art. Having enough money to sit in a log cabin all day watching foxes make out, with berries on one’s breath. Having an entire university beneath one’s command. Ability to drag friends in for a little merlot and sloppy sex with students. This is perhaps my favorite part: ...