Jeannie Vanasco

Jun 12, 2024 | electricliterature.com | Jeannie Vanasco |Jennifer Croft |Susanna Clarke |Shze-Hui Tjoa

Reading Lists Shze-Hui Tjoa recommends memoirs and novels written as letters, therapy sessions, diary entires, interviews, and Slack messages I love it when a text centers the dynamics of conversation. In my own life, talking to others gets me out of my head, and introduces me to possibilities I would never have dreamed of alone. I think of a quote by the activist Valerie Kaur, which my local bookshop has printed on some of its merchandise: “You are a part of me I do not yet know.” That’s...

May 1, 2024 | poetryfoundation.org | Annie Finch |Noah Warren |Jeannie Vanasco |Meena Alexander

Born in Allahabad, India, poet Meena Alexander was raised in Kerala and Sudan. She earned a BA at Khartoum University and a PhD at Nottingham University. Described as “undoubtedly one of the finest poets of contemporary times” by The Statesman (India), she was the author of numerous collections of poetry, including Atmospheric Embroidery (2018), Birthplace with Buried Stones (2013), and PEN Open Book Award-winner Illiterate Heart (2002).

Jan 24, 2023 | nytimes.com | Jeannie Vanasco

My mom talks about her cat the way I talk about my mom: “She turns on me on a dime,” she’d say. Or, “Even if she had the whole house to herself, she wouldn’t be happy.” Or: “There’s something wrong with her. She can’t help it. It’s probably chemical.” One day, my mom described a situation with her cat, Brooklyn, using language she’s probably used to summarize her dynamic with me: “I’m not talking to her.