Jonathan Kaplansky – This Magazine https://this.org Progressive politics, ideas & culture Wed, 22 Feb 2017 15:51:41 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.4 https://this.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/cropped-Screen-Shot-2017-08-31-at-12.28.11-PM-32x32.png Jonathan Kaplansky – This Magazine https://this.org 32 32 REVIEW: Collection of short stories examines the way death changes our lives https://this.org/2017/02/22/review-collection-of-short-stories-examines-the-way-death-changes-our-lives/ Wed, 22 Feb 2017 15:51:41 +0000 https://this.org/?p=16540 41tqer9szbL._SY346_Date with Destiny
By Hélène Rioux, translated by Jonathan Kaplansky
Guernica Editions, $20

Ten grisly but rich descriptive short stories, Date With Destiny by Hélène Rioux glimpses at the many ways death affects our lives at any given age. From a mother with a suicidal son, to an overzealous funeral sales telemarketer, each character experiences death with a semblance of normalcy through Rioux’s colourful prose. Translated from French by frequent collaborator Jonathan Kaplansky, each story evokes a wide variety of emotion, from sadness and sympathy, to hilarity and awkward discomfort. Chapters also feature thought-provoking quotes by poets, playwrights, and even rock star Jim Morrison—each a nod to the overall themes of the collection.

]]>