RavePittsburgh Post-Gazette... Cotman\'s...use of familiar and well-described surroundings in his latest novella-collection grounds this gritty fiction with fantastical elements that play out in offbeat yet satisfying ways ... What’s even more interesting is how Cotman characterizes aging through the heavy presence of Lord Decay ... vernacular refrains Cotman employs go far in making the dialogue feel realistic and soothing in its authenticity ... While the novella form sometimes feels imperfect—too long or not long enough—Cotman wields a compelling literary voice packing both a wallop and a deft touch.
Toi Derricotte
RaveThe Pittsburgh Post-GazetteIn her latest, i’: New and Selected Poems, Ms. Derricotte unfailingly displays a steady poetic voice, unafraid to approach matters of race, sex and child abuse in powerful modes. i is an immersion into a gripping, sometimes playful first-person point-of-view that retains its power through well-crafted lines and taut prose ... With more than 30 new poems, i isn’t just a greatest hits collection. Newer works such as \'The intimates\' and \'Among school children\' highlight the unswaying vision Ms. Derricotte brings to the page ... The twin rails electrifying Ms. Derricotte’s work emphasizes race and the physical abuse suffered at the hands of her father ... The writing here is gripping and stunningly reflective ... Perhaps the greatest feat is Toi Derricotte’s ability to render beauty from such difficult times. And lucky, we are, getting to sample so much of it between the covers of i.
