Indiana Review – Winter 2004

If you are like me, the multitude of literary reviews named after universities or geographic locations tend to blend together in your mind. However, for me, the Indiana Review just ceased to be one of them. Indiana Review is one of the only university affiliated magazines I’ve read that publishes great edgy and risky writing.

If you are like me, the multitude of literary reviews named after universities or geographic locations tend to blend together in your mind. However, for me, the Indiana Review just ceased to be one of them. Indiana Review is one of the only university affiliated magazines I’ve read that publishes great edgy and risky writing. Take for example the opening line James Gendron’s prose-poem “Expelled”: “Imagine the boy’s surprise on discovering that he couldn’t fly despite having been raised by bats.” Both of Gendron’s prose-poems (I almost want to call them parables) are excellent, my favorite poems in this issue. The vast majority of writing is poetry, but the fiction is solid as well. I really enjoyed Stephen Tuttle’s 2003 fiction prize winning piece “The Weather Here,” which tells the story of a group of men trapped under waves of rain and fleas. The tone and style reminds me of Donald Barthelme, which I mean very much as a compliment. At almost 200 pages of mostly poetry there should be more than enough to justify your purchase. [Indiana Review, Ballantine Hall 465, 1020 E. Kirkwood Ave., Bloomington, IN 47405-7103. E-mail: [email protected]. Single issue $9. indianareview.org/] – Lincoln Michel