In this compendium of essays and conversations, Maggie Nelson reflects on the art and artists who have shaped, inspired, and changed her. Senn Annis's narration is a mixed bag. Her rhythmic cadence is sometimes a bit stilted. She uses the same inflection for most sentences, and it gives her performance a feeling of recitation, rather than liveliness. She's at her best when she's able to sink into a story Nelson tells--whether it's about her family, a book she loves, or her own writing. At those times she lets the natural rhythms of conversation take over. The far-ranging essays themselves illuminate Nelson's curiosity, dedication to complexity, and knowledge of theory, philosophy, and literature. The conversations between Nelson and various other writers, poets, and critics are a highlight.
Pub Date: April 16, 2024
Duration: 12 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781696614290
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Inspiring collections of Angelou reading her poetry. These selections showcase Angelou's smooth, lyrical voice and her warm vitality. Her innate rhythm celebrates her verse and offers the poems to listeners as they should be remembered. Occasionally Angelou comments between the selections, and occasionally she interjects a resonant laugh.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: N/A
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
An audiobook that’s best experienced one chapter at a time, each essay like a daily letter from a friend visiting home.
A series of reflections on Venezuela’s past, present, and future, combined with a travelogue of the Venezuelan author’s visits there after fleeing to Canada. Gustavo Rex’s narration is clear and listenable. His performance has a momentum that propels listeners from sentence to sentence, though his tone, pitch, and style throughout are so consistent that most scenes and chapters are not audibly distinct from one another. This matches the prose, which meanders without a traditional narrative and doesn’t have strong peaks or valleys of emotion.
An audiobook that’s best experienced one chapter at a time, each essay like a daily letter from a friend visiting home.Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 12 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668660508
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Nov. 3, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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