An Interview with Nebraska State Poet Matt Mason
Matt Mason has run poetry workshops in Botswana, Romania, Nepal, and Belarus for the U.S. State Department and his poetry has appeared in The New York Times. Matt is the Nebraska State Poet and has received a Pushcart Prize as well as fellowships from the Academy of American Poets and the Nebraska Arts Council. His work...
An Interview with Marisa (Mac) Crane
If you’re looking for a beautifully queer abolitionist novel that isn’t afraid of asking hard questions, Marisa (Mac) Crane’s debut I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself is for you. In the world of this novel people who commit acts considered punishable by the government are assigned an extra shadow by The Department of Balance and...
What We’re Reading, with Assistant Editor Mays Kuhail
I’ve been enjoying reading more poetry over the summer, and I’ve recently picked up If They Come for Us, a raw and poignant collection by Fatimah Asghar. I was instantly drawn to the rich themes of South-Asian culture, identity, and the undeniable link between past and present in the effects of political turmoil and violence. Asghar...
Pets with MAR: Chokko
Chokko (better known as “Sir Chonkus of the Chonkmeisters” or “Chonky”) Waterfield finds himself enjoying a recent issue of Mid-American Review. When he isn’t reading, he is a ruthless tug-of-war player and always down for a walk through the cemetery. (Photo courtesy of Lila Waterfield)
What We’re Reading, with MAR Blog Co-Editor Gen Greer
High-Risk Homosexual by Edgar Gomez. Penguin Random House, 2022. 304 pages. 17.95, paperback. Earlier this month I decided to revisit Edgar Gomez’s memoir High-Risk Homosexual (2022). This was partly in honor of the book’s recent Lambda win in the category of Gay Memoir / Biography and partly because I’m obsessed with chaotic queer books. Gomez’s debut memoir tells...
Pets with MAR: Big Will & Willow
Big Will (top) and Willow (bottom) Clark vibe in rural Ohio. Both can be found melting hearts and enjoying the occasional poem or two. (Photos courtesy of Lucas Clark, MAR)
Pets with MAR: Poppy
Poppy (nicknamed Peebus) knows what’s good in life. She says you should all check out MAR. I don’t know about you, but I’m not one to disobey this kind of feline royalty! Want to include your pet in our “Pets with MAR” series? Simply send your photo, along with your pet’s name and any other...
What We’re Reading, with Assistant Editor Christopher McCormick
For my first summer read, I decided to pick up Leila Chatti’s new chapbook Figment (Bull City Press, 2022). At 35 pages it goes by quickly, yet its emotional depth and experimentation make every reread a rewarding experience. The chapbook’s black cover and barely visible, embossed title set up the work’s mystery and coyness early on. Composed...
What We’re Reading with MAR Blog Co-Editor Gen Greer
Dirtbag Massachusetts: A Confessional by Isaac Fitzgerald. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2022. 240 pages. $16.73, paperback. As someone who lives off of Dunkin Donuts coffee and constantly smells like smoke, I felt it was my duty to do a write up on Isaac Fitzgerald’s 2022 memoir “Dirtbag Massachusetts”. This collection of chaotic and wonderfully crafted essays takes...
What We’re Reading, with MAR Blog Co-Editor Tyler Michael Jacobs
Maybe I‘ve been feeling a bit homesick, for lack of a better word, as of late. The semester ended and I’ve found myself with too much time on my hands. So, I picked up the copy of Willa Cather’s My Ántonia (Vintage Classics, 1994) I had lying around in some unpacked boxes in my apartment and started...
What We’re Reading, from Associate Editor Caitlyn Mlodzik
I have always been drawn to books with animal perspectives, so when I picked up a copy of Kathleen Rooney’s Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey (2020) at the Toledo Friends of the Public Library earlier this year, I took a chance. I am not typically drawn to war novels or any novels set during WWI or WWII,...