I am in New York City vacationing at the moment. So I won’t be around here, and won’t be quick to respond via email, for the next week (and for several days thereafter, as I’m going to be going from NYC to Cleveland to teach at the Imagination Writing Workship at Cleveland State University till the 20th). More later. Till then, read this awesome review at Bookslut about Salon Fantastique. This is what the reviewer had to say about my story:
After your emotions are more than a bit spent by France, readers may then come across Christopher Barzak’s thoroughly modern tale of a girl, a tree, and a pledge that leads her and her brother deep into the woods. “The Guardian of the Egg” made me most obviously think immediately of Daisy Head Maisy but that isn’t a bad thing, as it is a total flip on what Dr. Seuss did with his “girl with a plant in her head” story; in fact it’s really quite interesting to juxtapose the two. Barzak must know that he is playing with a bit of a classic here and yet he remains serious with his story of environmental courage and dedication. It might be all about a girl with a flower in her head (at least at first) but in the end you won’t be laughing at Hester. Rather, you will thinking more about how Barzak could have found such a compelling character from a premise that seems to insist on silliness above all else.
Stay cool. I’m trying, but it’s ridiculously hot here in the city.
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