[Metaphysical Dictionary] is set out in a typical dictionary format ... A series of beautiful short poems and abstract sentences relating to each word. The concept of this book is so unique and the end product, in both the physical and written sense, is just mesmerizing.
This sly, whimsical debut collection by Toronto poet Svetlana Lilova is not much more than pocket-sized, but its poetic reach is expansive. Lilova was born in Sofia, Bulgaria, and arrived in Canada without knowing any English, so having a dictionary on hand was essential. Metaphysical Dictionary is an idiosyncratic version of that survival tool.
a series of very short poems written as “definitions”, that truly hit hard and have a ton of impact despite their size. the more you read (and see how some definitions reference back to others) the more it makes sense and blends together to form a beautiful narrative of the author’s life experiences.
Metaphysical Dictionary by Svetlana Lilova is profound, whimsical and wise, delightfully illustrated by Graham Falk. At her recent book launch at Centennial College, the author described how, newly-arrived in Canada and never having heard spoken English, she traversed the city with a dictionary in hand. Fast-forward many years, and Lilova offers us a compass, a roadmap, a mirror and a prism through which we can distill our lived experience and inner selves in this small, elegant volume.
This metaphysical dictionary would have driven Wittgenstein out of his formalistic mind, which is why I love this daring collection. Lilova is a veritable artist of consciousness - her poems are laconic Pollack drips of connotational calligraphy - true impressionism. Sober and surreal at once.
"Personal" which I won through Goodreads Giveaways is a collection of photographs including the facades of storefront windows and a never- ending highway in a bleak landscape, to the faces and forms of people he captures along his journey. Experiencing all facets of life across borders and time, Dave Green vividly juxtaposes textures and moods in his pictures arousing an emotional response whether from the nude stills, diverse faces or simply a cemetery where a crippled old man comes face to face with death.
Very pleased with this aptly titled work. Excellent black and white photography of subjects close to the photographer. And very nicely printed as well.
Released this summer through Amazon’s curated Kindle Singles program, in print only this fall, The Man Who Remembered the Moon says something about publishing today. Its publication history is interesting not only for being digital-first but also because, outside poetry and pop-culture series, you rarely see such a slim book in print nowadays: 65 pages, 51 dedicated to the title story. Not every book has to be a multicourse meal, though; sometimes, what you want is a quick bite, and as the latter, this one is thoroughly satisfying.
Much of our identity as humans is based on the understandings we share about the world, a kind of collective consciousness we have. So what would happen if you suddenly found that something pivotal to everyday life was missing, something embedded in human culture, and that you were the only one who remembered it? That’s the premise behind an intriguing story from David Hull entitled “The Man who Remembered the Moon”, published by Dumagrad Books.
What would happen if one day the Moon suddenly disappeared? More over, what would happen if only one man realized that it did and all other people on Earth claim there’s never been such thing as a moon? That’s exactly what David Hull’s novella “The Man Who Remembered the Moon” is about. Although it’s about a bunch of other things, too, like family, love, passion, and even existence. Between the pages of this book one will find what’s the meaning of desperation, but also what’s it like to believe in something so strongly, that nothing, nothing can stand in a person’s way.
The stories in this collection are about quiet, yet intense emotion; the tunnel vision selfishness of childhood, a tragic familiarization with rejection, miscommunication and its resulting loneliness. There was something I took away from each story, something that resonated with me.
I found these stories to be powerful and haunting. I can’t help but wonder what other gems Joan might have brought to this world, had she written more.
Alex Doukas is a bad booster for his "own" story, announcing right off the bat that he is a boring failure. A prospective reader might look at this relatively thick book's smallish print and think "How am I ever going to get through this?" Not hard as it turns out. Alex's tale is engaging as it swoops back and forth in time and place allowing the reader to gain multiple perspectives on its characters' motivations and justifications. This is a book about relationships between a man-child and his women and his estranged parents.