The Gallows Humor of Alexander Sammartino’s “Last Acts” – Chicago Review of Books

The Gallows Humor of Alexander Sammartino’s “Last Acts” – Chicago Review of Books

[ad_1] It is difficult to talk about guns in America without talking about denial. With every new tragedy, we look the other way in a naive attempt to escape responsibility for our role in sustaining the cycle of gun violence.  Alexander Sammartino shows a keen sensitivity to this dynamic in his raucous, irreverent debut novel, … Read more

Seduction is Performance in “Acts of Service” – Chicago Review of Books

Seduction is Performance in “Acts of Service” – Chicago Review of Books

[ad_1] There are good reasons why love triangles appear so often in literary plots. Triangles are inherently unstable. They force characters to make choices through constant negotiation and compromise. As far as triangles go, the one in Lillian Fishman’s debut novel Acts of Service is a perfectly messy inquiry into the nature of power and … Read more