every book I have ever loved has gone unread—or worse yet— abandoned by Chapter Three because I Just Couldn't Get Into It yet every book a man has ever recommended to me, lent me, or even mentioned in passing has required my annotation. a book group get-together, a one-sided discussion— not a lecture, mind you, he is Different Than Most Men— where he is leading questions in a forum to make sure I Really Got It, to make sure I Understood the Meaning & Motif. I have been reading so much my annotated cumulative bibliography is in pristine MLA format & my footnotes have footnotes which, in turn, have end notes. I have come to hate reading Serious Books™ because like the books themselves, I am merely there to witness Men Doing (Writing) Things. I am not even meant to be a Book Reviewer— reviewers, after all, are entitled to an opinion— I am merely transcribing annotations, neutral summaries of books which were never really meant for me.
Allie Marini is a cross-genre writer holding degrees from both Antioch University of Los Angeles & New College of Florida. She has published a number of chapbooks, including Pictures from the Center of The Universe (Paper Nautilus, winner of the Vella Prize) and Southern Cryptozoology: A Field Guide to Beasts of the Southern Wild (Hyacinth Girl Press, finalist for the SFPA’s Elgin Award) In addition to her work on the page, Allie was a member of Oakland’s 2017 National Slam Team. A native Floridian now freezing to death in the Bay Area, Allie writes poetry, fiction, and essays. Find her online: www.alliemarini.com.
Please follow and like us: