Independent presses rock! Went to a reading in June because my friend Hasanthika Sirisena was reading. Her book won the Juniper prize from the University of Massachusetts Press. The OTHER ONE, a collection of short stories, blew me over the top, and took me on a journey to another world: Sri Lanka, and the brutality of the decades-long civil war. Its diction and attention to detail is overwhelming.
I purchased a book written by the other reader at this event, Leland Cheuk, THE MISADVENTURES OF SULLIVER PONG published by the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography. The passages he read had me laughing out loud, so I was excited to read this book. The verdict is in. Not only is it filled with biting humor, but also incredible poignancy as it confronts the difficulties of an American immigrant family. I found myself alternating between laughter and tears. I cannot recommend both books enough; my words would not do justice to the incredible experience of the narratives.
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