Recent reviews in ABR

Been lazy, and missed posting my latest reviews in Australian Book Review, who I always love writing for.

Two good books, too: ‘The Magpie Wing’ by Max Easton; and ‘The Sawdust House’ by David Whish-Wilson.

Read the reviews here:

https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/abr-online/archive/2021/972-december-2021-no-438/8641-alex-cothren-reviews-the-magpie-wing-by-max-easton

https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/abr-online/current-issue/976-april-2022-no-441/8995-alex-cothren-reviews-the-sawdust-house-by-david-whish-wilson

Fiction: A Short History of Guns in America

Hey, Utopia!

This is a real treat: my story, ‘A Short History of Guns in America’, is in the latest Griffith Review. The story is a re-imagining of the United States’ toxic relationship with guns, and you can both read it and listen to me read it, here.

Big thanks for the GR team for taking the punt on a bizarre story. And special thanks to RMIT’s Dr Rose Michael, whose praise for the story convinced me to send it out into the world.

Book Review: Night Blue by Angela O’Keeffe; Where the Line Breaks by Michael Burrows; The Speechwriter by Martin McKenzie-Murray

August 2021 cover

After enjoying the experience of reading and thinking about Michael Winkler’s utterly unique Grimmish, I was hoping Australian Book Review would keep sending me all the weird books that appear on their desks. And guess what? They did! In the latest ABR, I review three debut novels with bonker premises. It was a lot of fun, I hope my role as Weird Book Guy is forever established.

Check out the review here.

Winner! 2021 William Van Dyke Short Story Prize

Ruminate News and Events - Ruminate Magazine

The best part about submitting to U.S. journals and prizes is that you get their rejection emails in the middle of the night. Nothing like being woken up at 3 a.m. to learn you suck. But this time…no suck! Kelli Jo Ford, an incredible writer btw, somehow decided I was the winner of Ruminate magazine’s short story prize.

My winning story, ‘The Florist’, was meant to be a satire on political polarization. It turned into something else, though; in all honesty I’m at a loss about what this one actually means. But I’ll still take the check!

By the sounds of it, the story will published in the U.S. autumn.

https://www.ruminatemagazine.com/blogs/ruminate-news-and-events/2021-william-van-dyke-short-story-prize-winners-alex-cothren-amber-blaesen-wardzala

Book Review: Grimmish by Michael Winkler

Grimmish eBook by Michael Winkler | 9780645049619 | Booktopia

As usual, way late with this, but I reviewed Michael Winkler’s Grimmish for the April 2021 issue of Australian Book Review. The ‘novel’ is an absolutely bizarre mix of fact and fiction about a little known boxer, and I loved it. Give me the weird, weird, weird ones any day.

https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/abr-online/current-issue/962-april-2021-no-430/7608-alex-cothren-reviews-grimmish-by-michael-winkler

Review: ‘The Adversary’

adversary

Late news, part 2!

I reviewed Ronnie Scott’s The Adversary for the May 2020 issue of the Australian Book Review.

I suspect that the book might be an acquired taste, but I enjoyed its neurotic, witty narrator.

You can read the review here.

Note: ABR was not successful in its latest round of funding. It is an important voice for Australian literature, so you should support it with a subscription.