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The Masters Review Volume VII With Stories And Essays Selected by Rebecca Makkai! This is our seventh volume - our best anthology yet. The anthology was published in October 2018. Stories and Essays from today's best emerging writers with an introduction from one of literature's most celebrated authors, Rebecca Makkai.
What does it mean to be an emerging writer? All I know is that I was labeled as such at one point-I was invited to several festivals featuring "emerging writers," all around the time when I had stories out but no novel, or one novel and no clue what was supposed to happen next-and that sometime thereafter, with no warning, I stopped emerging. It felt wildly unfair to me at the time, because wasn't I just a brand new little baby writer with nothing but exciting promise? But no: by the time your second book appears, apparently you've emerged. Recently, I was joking with a couple of friends (writers who "emerged" before I did, and more thoroughly than I ever have) about launching, for those of us who've been around the block, a Submerging Writers Festival.
Which is all to say: I know, I remember, that this "emerging" thing is both fun and terrifying. As much as I look back with nostalgic longing at the moment when my first story was accepted for publication-when everything was potential and excitement-it's only now from this point, looking back, that I know what that moment was the start of. At the time, for all I knew, it was a fluke. It was a mistake, soon to be corrected with an awkward follow-up note. The journal would fold before the story came out. A printing error would omit half the piece. No one would even read it. Everyone would read it, in horror that it had been published. When the journal in question finally arrived at my house (nine whole anguishing months later!) I couldn't bear to look directly at the story. I made my husband look at it and check that it was real, that all the words were there, that they'd spelled my name correctly.
To judge any contest is daunting, but one for emerging writers is especially so. There's the question, first of all, of what this would mean to the writers chosen-something I have no way of knowing. Is this a writer on the verge of giving up, or one who's received ten acceptances and a six-figure book deal this year? If I squint hard enough, can I tell? (No; I cannot.) And then there's the question of promise versus polish. Everyone here has an abundance of both, but for the final spot, as I'm considering a story weighted more towards spark and promise against one weighted more towards polish... Which way do I go? (Well: spark and promise. But not without a lot of hair-pulling.)
To the ten writers chosen, and indeed to all thirty of the writers whose work I was privileged to read and to consider: Yes, this is it. Big things are happening, because you're ready, and the world is a dumpster fire but we need you and we need your stories to take us up above it all. This is it. Ready for liftoff. Let's go. - Introduction by Rebecca Makkai
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Like it was written by George Santos
Received an Advanced Reader Copy from a friend. I am an avid true crime reader and upon completion I question if the author is credible. The timeline does not add up for his age and the times of his alleged involvement in organized crime. Some of the things in the book he is alleged to have said and done I remember almost word for word from movies I had previously watched. He literally stole a scene from the movie the accountant with Ben Affleck and said that he did it. I did a little research after completing the book and learned that this author was also claiming in 2010 that he was a long time member of the Bloods Gang. That coupled with the above leads me to believe that it is nothing more than fantasy. Do not waste your time or money
Like it was written by George Santos
Received an Advanced Reader Copy from a friend. I am an avid true crime reader and upon completion I question if the author is credible. The timeline does not add up for his age and the times of his alleged involvement in organized crime. Some of the things in the book he is alleged to have said and done I remember almost word for word from movies I had previously watched. He literally stole a scene from the movie the accountant with Ben Affleck and said that he did it. I did a little research after completing the book and learned that this author was also claiming in 2010 that he was a long time member of the Bloods Gang. That coupled with the above leads me to believe that it is nothing more than fantasy. Do not waste your time or money
What a difficult story to tell. I appreciate the honesty and vulnerability. Definitely made me think.
I had hopes for this book but was not expecting what I would read within the pages. If your kink is deplorable grammar, incoherent sentences, and inconsistent messages, then this book is for you. At first, I thought the book I received was not the book I ordered. But as I dived in, it was very confusing. I would not recommend this book to anyone
There are not many reviews on the internet for this book. In researching the many stores selling the book, it was self-published which makes a lot of sense. The online description is written perfectly, so reading the actual book was very difficult. Pages two and three are written clearly as well as the table of contents. Pages 155 and 156 are also written logically.
It appears this book was written, then sent through a program like “Grammarly.” Once completed it seems it was published without being re-read or edited. The first clue was the title narrative that used “Has” instead of “As.” The table of contents is one page off from what it shows on pages four though seven. Many of the “q’s” are written as “[]”
Below are some examples of what was within the pages of this book written verbatim:
“Chains & Discipline/ Domination & entry/ Sadism & Masochism (BDSM) is a wide classification of bed room play.” Page 9
“When bringing up the topic of chains, you are actually asking a person to offer you their depend on, their flexibility, and also possibly their suggestion of security in exchange for sensual/sexual enjoyment, power-play, and also feasible re-evaluation of your very own connection.” Page 39
“Techni[]ue can take a selection of kinds and also be as easy or facility as you pick to (new paragraph) bargain for your details scenario” Page 52
“BDSM stands for chains as well as entry, technique and also supremacy as well as sadism and also masochism.” Page 125
“SHELF means Risk Aware Consensual Kink.” Page 130
“Approval is whatever.” Page 152
“your twist isn’t my twist, yet your twist is OKAY.” Page 153
“You can be a top, base, or button” Page 153
Good service, good book. Just what I was looking for! Thank you!