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friends and life in question when he is faced with trying to find what he really desires out of them all. Throughout the novel, Wallace keeps his emotions in check, fearing that if he loses control of them, it could threaten his place as the sole African American in his graduate program. Brandon Taylor Real Life tells a truly disReal Life tinct story about a gay black RIVERHEAD BOOKS man from Alabama who attempts to escape his trauma n his debut novel, Real Life, released Feb. 18, Iowa by way of academia. With this fresh perspective, the novel Writers’ Workshop alum finds its strength in showing Brandon Taylor follows the the way people try to distance story of Wallace, a science gradthemselves both from their uate student in the Midwest who past and from others. is in search of what he really Wallace’s journey is colwants. The book is set over the ored by drama, betrayals, course of just three days, and but most of all, the feeling of it’s filled with betrayals, new wanting to live a “real life.” romance and self-discovery. The theme comes up frequently in the novel, with the grad REAL LIFE TELLS A TRULY students often lamentDISTINCT STORY ABOUT ing how much easier A GAY BLACK MAN FROM things would be if they didn’t have a life in ALABAMA WHO ATTEMPTS academia and instead TO ESCAPE HIS TRAUMA worked and lived like BY WAY OF ACADEMIA. “normal people.” The characters’ tense exchanges in Real Life always begin with Taylor paints his narrative mundane social interactions, with a palette of themes that before building to a dynamic, include relationships, grief and cruel argument. The exploratrauma. At the start, readers see tion of cruelty is one of the Wallace several weeks after his most remarkable elements of father died, believing that he is the novel—Wallace describes doing fine, not experiencing the friendship as an exchange of expected stages of grief. That cruelty between two people. feeling seems to stem from the Wallace’s world view is fact that his upbringing was clouded by past trauma, and spotted with tragic moments, the novel shows how that many with his parents at the causes him to go down a center. road he never would have Wallace is a recluse and tries otherwise. Real Life is a comto be alone much of the time, pelling social drama adeptly but after he is roped into spendcomplemented by Taylor’s ing time with his estranged felprose. I’ll definitely be keeplow grad students, he gets into ing an eye out for his next both high-tension drama and novel. romantic entanglement. —Austin J. Yerington Wallace finds his studies,
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Cory Christiansen, illus. Mackinzie Rekers A Visit to Lost Otter Farm SELF-PUBLISHED
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very year, the Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature offers One Book Two Book, a festival for all kids, from the book character meet-and-greets for your toddler (with unbelievably tolerant folks dressed in full-coverage, big-headed costumes) to the Junior High Writing Jam and the Comic Book Confidential Workshop to entice even your surliest newly minted teen. The centerpiece of One Book Two Book is its student writing competition and celebration. Students in grades 1-8 from the Iowa City–Cedar Rapids area submit one page of written work (any style) in English, French or Spanish. A team from ACT selects two winners per grade—one for skill (clarity, structure) and one for passion (creativity, expressiveness)—who are honored at the Write Out Loud event on Sunday. But One Book Two Book isn’t just for kids who already love writing; it’s to inspire all youth and show them what’s possible. There are storytime events and two sessions of storytelling with the maestro, Darrin Crow. And one of the authors reading this year is North Liberty writer Cory Christiansen, who just released his self-published children’s book A Visit to Lost Otter Farm. Illustrated by Mackinzie Rekers (an Iowa Citian), A Visit to Lost Otter Farm is a charming, personal telling of a family visit to Christiansen’s sister’s home in
upper Michigan. It’s a lovely example of how to create a distinct world and draw readers into it. It’s also relatable to young readers, told with a sense of wonder and whimsy. The real star of the book is the titular otter—not the focus of the text, but gracing many of the spreads through Rekers’ warm, funny, utterly delightful artwork. Wherever the curious creature pops up, Rekers imbues it with a playfulness that shines on the page and elevates the story. The other characters and the landscapes they inhabit are captivating as well. Some clever turns of phrase ground the narrative (“There are stands of trees with grace and power / And prairies speckled with purple coneflower” is a favorite). But it’s the illustrations that will have you wanting to turn these pages again and again. —Genevieve Trainor
One Book Two Book (all events at hotelVetro unless otherwise noted) Saturday, Feb. 22 Comic Book Confidential Workshop for Grades 5-8, 10 a.m. The Little Engine That Could, 10 a.m. Storyteller Darrin Crow, 10:30 a.m. Storytime with Sidekick Coffee and Books, 11 a.m. A Visit to Lost Otter Farm, 11:30 a.m. Book Character Meet and Greet, 12 p.m. Jr. High Writing Jam!, 12 p.m., The Mill Young Author Autograph Session, 12 p.m. Storytelling with Darrin Crow II, 12:30 p.m. Absolute Science, 1 p.m. Book Character Meet and Greet, 2 p.m. Storytime: This is Frog by Harriett Evans, 2:30 p.m. Storytime with Usborne Books & More, 2:30 p.m. Performances by Nolte Academy, 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23 Write Out Loud, 1 p.m., Macbride Hall
LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LV279 Feb. 19–Mar. 3, 2020 49
