reading when i can

A collection of words from books I've read, along with my ramblings.

[smokefalls]

I was sad. It was a clear emotion. There was a purity to it—for once I felt unburdened by my emotions mixing into a slapdash, saccharine cocktail.

August Thompson, Anyone's Ghost

[smokefalls]

There are still few things in this world I love as much as a well-placed bench.

August Thompson, Anyone's Ghost

[smokefalls]

Title: On the Origin of Species and Other Stories Author: Kim Bo-young Translators: Sora Kim-Russell and Joungmin Lee Comfort (with additional contributions from other translators) Publication Year: 2021 Publisher: Kaya Press Genre: fiction, short stories, science fiction

I had very mixed feelings about this short story collection, where on the one hand, I absolutely loved the ideas that Kim explored in each story, all of which fell under this overarching question, “What does it mean to be human?” I was so fascinated by how Kim reflected on this question not through humans themselves but, rather, through the post-human (whether it be androids, virtual reality avatars, or species that seem human-adjacent). At times, elements of Donna Haraway’s “Cyborg Manifesto” came to mind as the boundaries that defined “human” were challenged and questioned. It was also fascinating to me how Kim considered the dissemination of information and knowledge over time, along with how we determine what should be preserved and archived. She doesn’t offer any clear answers and , instead, leaves plenty of room for the reader to mull over these points. As a whole, this collection really stood out to me for presenting such thought-provoking stories that showed Kim’s brilliance in (de)constructing the complexities of humanity through storytelling.

Unfortunately, I did struggle a fair bit in staying fully immersed and engaged with the way the narratives of most of these stories. As much as I can sing praises about the concepts that Kim presented, I wasn’t nearly as taken with how they were delivered, and I can’t figure out if this is because of how they were translated or if it’s a result of having been in a reading slump for some time. I think the titular story/ies “On the Origin of Species” was/were especially hard to get into, though I’d say this might be more of a me problem.

With that said, the story that stood out to me was “Stars Shine in Earth’s Sky,” which felt as though it encapsulated the wonders of being human and our place in the universe. I found that this one really stuck with me long after I finished reading it.

Content Warning: death, murder, blood, suicide, references to ableism

[smokefalls]

Does God love us? This question vexes us each time we pore over the sacred texts. Is God two-faced? Like an unreliable narrator, God’s contradictions leave us scratching our heads.

Kim Bo-young, "On the Origin of Species—And What Might Have Happened Thereafter" from On the Origin of Species and Other Stories (translated by Sora Kim-Russell and Joungmin Lee Comfort)

[smokefalls]

All faith is symbolism and allegory. It’s a subset of literature and art.

Kim Bo-young, "On the Origin of Species" from On the Origin of Species and Other Stories (translated by Sora Kim-Russell and Joungmin Lee Comfort)

[smokefalls]

We are not independent beings. We intermingle, and the longer we spend together, the more we become entangled with one another.

Kim Bo-young, "Between Zero and One" from On the Origin of Species and Other Stories (translated by Melissa Mei-Lin Chan and Eunhae Jo)

[smokefalls]

Human beings should be seen as continuous waveforms rather than as independent entities. This is because at every moment we are exchanging atoms with our surroundings. As time progresses, all the atoms that make up your body are replaced by different atoms. You may be an entirely different entity today than you were in your childhood.

Kim Bo-young, "Between Zero and One" from On the Origin of Species and Other Stories (translated by Melissa Mei-Lin Chan and Eunhae Jo)

[smokefalls]

Time flows subjectively. We’ve all had the experience of dreaming several hours’ or days’ worth of events during a short nap.

Kim Bo-young, "Between Zero and One" from On the Origin of Species and Other Stories (translated by Melissa Mei-Lin Chan and Eunhae Jo)

[smokefalls]

Even now, you’re imposing order onto chaos at every possible moment, deciding the direction of a world that, until just now, existed merely as a set of possibilities. Your mother created you at your genetic birth, but she also re-created you, moment by moment, by watching you grow up. The past, however, doesn’t change with our observations of it. Too many eyes have frozen it in place. The future holds endless possibilities because no one has yet observed it. And without human eyes, both the past and the future would exist only as infinite chaos.

Kim Bo-young, "Between Zero and One" from On the Origin of Species and Other Stories (translated by Melissa Mei-Lin Chan and Eunhae Jo)

[smokefalls]

Title: A Tongue in the Mouth of the Dying Author: Laurie Ann Guerrero Publication Year: 2013 Publisher: University of Notre Dame Press Genre: poetry

This is the first time I’m reading poetry by Laurie Ann Guerrero, and I was really taken to how visceral and almost tangible her words read to me, with everything seemingly coming alive. This collection covers various themes ranging from a reflection on life in South Texas (with a particular focus on San Antonio) to the legacy and impact of colonization. I think as a result of the distinct history and culture of the US–Mexico border being so prominent in these poems, it made it a bit difficult for me to completely grasp the meaning of these poems, as someone who has very little familiarity with this space. Yet, I found myself drawn to Guerrero’s language, and I’d be curious to read more of her works.

Content Warning: references to death, murder, cancer, colonization

[smokefalls]

and the taste of him and her together will be on her tongue like a blanket of strawberries long after summer has passed.

Laurie Ann Guerrero, "My Mother Will Take a Lover" from A Tongue in the Mouth of the Dying

[smokefalls]

He lifts his chin to smell the calling moon. He takes blind metamorphosis as he does his coffee: quietly and in the dark hours.

Laurie Ann Guerrero, "Cocooning" from A Tongue in the Mouth of the Dying

[smokefalls]

I watched my house’s red trim slant along the white plywood walls smolder with the embers of a cleared brush in the early July rain. How in the rain I loved it most. It was in the dark gray summer, when drops of rain began to fall, that I knew the human language: my body was not my own.

Laurie Ann Guerrero, "Summer" from A Tongue in the Mouth of the Dying

[smokefalls]

Title: The Whole Earth Is a Garden of Monsters / Toda la tierra es un jardín de monstruos Author: Manuel Iris Translators: Manuel Iris and Kevin McHugh Publication Year: 2026 Publisher: University of Arizona Press Genre: poetry

I’m a little torn over how I feel about this bilingual edition of The Whole Earth Is a Garden of Monsters, but I think the overall concept that Manuel Iris was going for outweighs some of my own preferences when it comes to poetry in general. What I loved about this collection was Iris’s innovative approach to blurring reality and fiction. At the start of the collection, he writes a note about the two main “characters” featured. First is Hieronymus Bosch and how despite being a real person, there’s almost an imaginary quality to him due to how much of an enigmatic figure he is in art history. The second is Juan Coyoc—later known as Juan Domínguez—who is a fictional character based on the biographies and lived experiences of migrants in the Americas, which, in a way, makes Domínguez a very real individual. After this note, two intertwining narratives emerge to reflect on art, migration, violence, religion/spirituality, and human nature. What I found most striking from this collection was the way Iris blurred what “hell” means to simultaneously be a biblical one and man’s own creation, as well as a philosophical contemplation of the ties between humans across time and space.

As much as I loved the way the lives of Hieronymus Bosch and the contemporary migrant worker were intertwined in such an original way, Iris’s writing style didn’t work for me, personally. I thought the language was a bit too simplistic for such an intricate concept, and so I found myself wanting a bit more from these poems. It also didn’t help that the collection was much shorter than expected! In addition (and possibly unrelated to Iris), I really wish the English and Spanish poems were published side-by-side as opposed to the English version first, then the original Spanish approach. However, there could have been a legitimate reason for the collection being published the way it was.

Even though this collection didn’t quite work with what I generally prefer in poetry, I still found it unbelievably thought-provoking that I think it was well worth the read in the end.

Content Warning: death, fire/fire injury, violence, references to war

[smokefalls]

El infierno eres tú por ser espejo de nosotros.

Manuel Iris, "Toda la tierra es un jardín de monstruos" de Toda la tierra es un jardín de monstruos ["The Whole Earth Is a Garden of Monsters" from The Whole Earth Is a Garden of Monsters]

[English translation by Manuel Iris and Kevin McHugh:

Hell is you: mirror of our selves.]

[smokefalls]

A veces pienso, Padre, que el mundo era perfecto antes del hombre, de lo triste de nosotros. Y que sufrimos todos porque tú quisiste más.

Manuel Iris, "Toda la tierra es un jardín de monstruos" de Toda la tierra es un jardín de monstruos ["The Whole Earth Is a Garden of Monsters" from The Whole Earth Is a Garden of Monsters]

[English translation by Manuel Iris and Kevin McHugh:

Sometimes I think, Father, that the world was perfect before man, before the sadness about us. And that we all suffer because you wanted more.]

[smokefalls]

El monstruo es marginal en este mundo pero en el suyo la belleza es repugnante, demoniaca. Aquí nadie la entiende.

Manuel Iris, "Marginalia" de Toda la tierra es un jardín de monstruos ["Marginalia" from The Whole Earth Is a Garden of Monsters]

[English translation by Manuel Iris and Kevin McHugh:

A monster is marginal in this world but in his beauty is disgusting, demonic. Here no one understands that.]