An American artist witnesses the Quebec spring 2012 student strike on the streets of Montreal. The brutal police response and their violent tactics trigger an exploration of urban planning and its hidden connections to military strategies. Marshal Bugeaud’s urban warfare tactics in Algeria, Haussmann’s plan for Paris, planning and repression in the New World;Read More
Danika reviews Falling into Place: An Intimate Geography of Home by Catherine Reid
When I first picked up Falling into Place, I thought it was a memoir. While it can read like one, it’s actually a collection of related essays. This collection focuses in equal parts on Reid’s personal life and her love of nature, weaving in narratives about a particular otter, or the story of passenger pigeons,Read More
Danika reviews Lies About My Family: A Memoir by Amy Hoffman
Perhaps it’s unfair to read a book that you know you’re not in the mood for. Lies About My Family got positive reviews by Alison Bechdel and Anita Diamant, and I can’t say that it’s badly written… It’s just not a book I personally enjoyed very much. Lies About My Family is, of course, aRead More
Danika reviews Freak of Nurture by Kelli Dunham
I picked up Freak of Nurture, a collection of essays and autobiographical stories by comedian Kelli Dunham, because Dunham seemed to have a sense of humour I enjoy, the writing sounded strong, and so far nothing published by Topside Press has steered me wrong. And Dunham is funny! I wasn’t wrong about that. What IRead More
Danika reviews Body Geographic by Barrie Jean Borich
This is a very smart book. Sometimes I open a book and immediately realize that this has been carefully crafted and very well-written, which, oddly, can also mean that it may be a less instantly enjoyable book: it may take some time and energy to read as well as to write. Body Geographic is definitely oneRead More
Danika reviews Licking the Spoon: A Memoir of Food, Family and Identity by Candace Walsh
One of the first books I reviewed for the Lesbrary was Dear John, I Love Jane edited by Candace Walsh and Laura Andre. I loved that book, both for the topic (complicating sexual orientation? Yes please) and the quality of the stories. So when I saw that one of the editors had written a memoir,Read More
Danika reviews Prairie Silence by Melanie Hoffert
I have a strong draw towards rural queer stories. I’m not sure why, because I grew up in a mid-sized liberal/hippie city, but I find myself seeking out and basking in stories by Ivan Coyote, Rae Spoon, emily m. danforth and now Melanie Hoffert. I think it’s because the traditional narrative of queer lives isRead More
Danika reviews I’ll Call It Like I See It: A Lesbian Speaks Out by Sheila Morris
I was expecting I’ll Call It Like I See It to be a memoir, but it’s actually a collection of essays (though most of them are autobiographical). The collection reads almost like a compilation of a local newspaper article, or a personal blog–which makes sense, because the author does have a blog by the sameRead More
Danika reviews Before the Rain: A Memoir of Love & Revolution by Luisita Lopez Torregrosa
Before the Rain is a beautifully-written memoir that is just what the subtitle promises: about love and revolution. It focuses equally on Torregrosa’s experiences as a newspaper editor and reporter overseas in the 80s, as well as her almost a decade long love affair with a woman named Elizabeth. From the beginning, their relationship comes acrossRead More
Danika reviews First Spring Grass Fire by Rae Spoon
From about the first page of First Spring Grass Fire, I was already frustrated, for three reasons: 1) it is very well-written, 2) it is very short, and 3) it is, at the moment, Rae Spoon’s only book. I was dreading getting to the end of the book pretty much the moment I started it. I firstRead More