Harare Review of Books

184 pages.

First published February 27, 2024 (University of North Carolina Press)

Non-fiction essay collection.

This is a fascinating collection of essays—about the author’s loss of an adult child, Faulkner, birds (loved this), food—including how the author’s grandmother prepared fried chicken by first wringing the necks of chickens in a particular way so as not to get blood on her apron (a touch of the Southern Gothic, perhaps)… Also touchingly on how he came to wear his eye patch, and his relationship with his father after he lost his eye; his mother; books, and writing; travels in Europe and the Soviet Union before the fall of the USSR; dogs; property ownership and neighbours; claims adjustment; and, again at the end, about his son.

Seay’s authorial voice is engaging—wry, and somewhat defiant—and kept me reading right to the end. It’s always eye-opening to read from a different culture, and I found that I did not always agree with or approve of Seay’s point of view—particularly whenever he introduced the topic of race (Latinx people, Native Americans), which sometimes made me cringe. But this is what I find valuable about reading non-fiction from people who don’t look or think like me: exposure to other worldviews widens my own, and enriches my understanding of our common human condition. And, importantly, Seay is a genuinely interesting writer.

Thank you to University of North Carolina Press and to NetGalley for access.

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