Review of “At Sea” by Jaclyn Moyer
If you're looking for an excellent piece of creative non-fiction to read, pick up the Fall/Winter 2015 issue of december (volume 26.2) and read "At Sea" by Jaclyn Moyer. With stunning descriptions and enticing prose that never falters, Moyer offers readers a unique view of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami from an island off the coast of Thailand. "At Sea" is a story told at a distance from the heart of the devastation. The reader walks side-by-side with the narrator, sharing in her fearful speculations about the disaster and gazing upon images that are both beautiful and haunting. A story that is rich in detail and rich with the sense of human warmth that makes non-fiction wonderful, it is a tribute to resilience in the face of total loss. A quote:
“I didn't understand how she could be so certain. Her home had been transformed -- surely her friends and family were impacted, businesses lost, houses destroyed, people hurt or killed. Still, Sarah's voice was soothing, her fingertips cool on my forehead, and I said, I know, even though I didn't.”
Review by Mike Rand
Submissions for Issue 38 and the Claire Keyes Poetry Prize are open for one more month! Until March 1st.