Bronwyn Averett

  • How to Become World Literate

    What “world” are we talking about when we talk about “world literature”? We know it when we see it. It’s not France. It is definitely Africa. It might be Russia. But what about Finland? Or Puerto Rico? And what “literature” are we talking about? Do folktales count? Are comic books literature? What about religious texts? Read more

  • Marlon James, African and Caribbean Women Have Written Some Great “Geek” Books

    Right after the publication of his most recent novel A Brief History of Seven Killings (winner of the 2015 Man Booker Prize – not too shabby), Marlon James appeared on the thoroughly superb podcast “A Tiny Sense of Accomplishment,” hosted by writer buddies Sherman Alexie and Jess Walter. It was a great interview – those guys Read more

  • Haruki Murakami and Your Love Life as Metaphor

    As usual, this year brought some Nobel buzz for Japanese author Haruki Murakami, who is best known in North America for works such as The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Kafka on the Shore, and 1Q84. Also as usual, he did not win, much to the disappointment of his devoted fans. It so happens that I spent Read more

  • Motherhood: A Reading List

    Appropriately, a helpful list of books covering the subject of motherhood was published the other day…on my due date, in fact… (Which has now past. Clock is ticking people. And seriously, don’t get me started…) I was in the middle of drafting my own list (assuming I am blessed with the kind of magic baby that Read more

  • I quit my job once and I want you to know about it

    or Some Reflections Provoked by #QuitLit — Six years ago I found myself living in an idyllic midwestern college town, working anywhere from three to five jobs at a time. Here is a list of what my BA in French/comparative literature and recently completed MA in African Languages & Literature qualified me to do: serve coffee, sell books, rent Read more

  • what is an ‘invention’ ?

    I’m still here, working away at the Bach Two-Part Inventions in a race against the baby clock. And the other day, while trudging through # 5 in E min (which, okay, is kind of difficult…ugh…stay in a *&^% key, Bach!), I realized that I had never encountered ‘invention’ as a musical term anywhere except in reference to Read more