O, Dystopic Irony: A Few of the Most Misused Literary Terms

By Emily Temple on Jun 20, 2013 Flavorwire

At Salon this week, Morten Høi Jensen argues that “Big Brother” is a less apt Orwellian concept for our times than “the relationship between politics and the English language.” Perhaps so. Though this is a case of misplaced cultural emphasis more than a misunderstanding of a term, it still sparked a question — what about the literary terms we so frequently misuse? Certainly those shoes in the window are not Kafkaesque, as their tag claims. … Read More

It Doesn’t Matter If You Think It’s “Good”: In Defense of Marie Calloway

By Jamie Peck on Jun 20, 2013 

Earlier this week at Flavorwire, Elizabeth Spiers published a fairly negative review of Marie Calloway’s debut work of fiction, what purpose did i serve in your life. Titled “But Is It Good? The Problem With Marie Calloway’s Affectless Realism,” it sought to discredit the book’s literary merit on mostly formal grounds, with a few swipes at its content as well. Unlike most other negative reviews written about Marie, it did not read as idle bullying, but I still believe it missed the point in many crucial ways. To her credit, Ms. Spiers offered to publish my perspective. … Read More