reviews

High society in Houston: secrets as plentiful as Texas oil Author: Anton DiSclafani I would love to climb into Anton DiSclafani’s mind, because I suspect it’s a dark, warped, and slightly dirty place. And I mean that in the best way possible. Much like her first novel, The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls, DiSclafani’s The After Party slyly and glamorously deconstructs the concept of “bad girl.” DiSclafani gives us a young woman who doesn’t quite fit into societal conventions—a young woman who might be a hot mess or might just be ahead of her time. Or both. Or neither. We [...]

Agony in a very small package... Author:  Justin Schmidt They’re the pain experts.  The bees, wasps and ants – also well known for their remarkably sophisticated societies – have taken the intentional infliction of pain and agony to a level unequaled in the animal kingdom.   And there may be no human more expert in the finer points of Hymenopteran- induced torment than Justin Schmidt.  Fascinated by stings of every variety, this entomological celebrity tells of his adventures in suffering in The Sting of the Wild. Describing a sting much like an oenophile might describe a fine cab, Schmidt has set [...]

Not My Cup of TNT Author: Karan Mahajan  Terrorism and its impacts are one of the key elements of modern society and the elemental fear within all of us. Transitioning from an intellectual premise (oh yes, that happens to those people, over there) to a daily possibility during 9/11 many Americans awoke to the terrifying notion that we are not safe – and probably never were. Following on 9/11 and all our ever varying red and yellow alerts, fearing everything from dirty bombs to a supposedly pregnant woman on the Metro secretly concealing a detonator, our society has become defined [...]