Tell Me What You See (2022 book) explained

Tell Me What You See
Author:Terena Elizabeth Bell
Language:English
Country:United States
Genre:Experimental literature
Published:Dec 8, 2022
Publisher:Whiskey Tit
Pages:143
Isbn:9781952600227

Tell Me What You See is a short fiction collection written by Terena Elizabeth Bell. The book is Bell's first[1] and was published on December 8, 2022, by Whisk(e)y Tit,[2] a Brooklyn-based literary press. It contains ten short stories[3] of multiple genres.[4] The title story, "Tell Me What You See," is a 2021 New York Foundation for the Arts City Artist Corps winner[5] and the first fiction published about the January 6th attack on the US Capitol.[6] Other stories are about climate change,[7] early COVID-19 pandemics in New York City[8] and the southern United States,[9] and other 2020–2021 events.[10]

The stories from Tell Me What You See are largely experimental in nature.[11] [12] [13] Many incorporate news photographs and original drawings from both the pandemic and Capitol events.[14] [15] Others make use of footnotes,[16] multiple languages,[17] hypnotic syntax, and the literary technique of erasure.[18] [19]

Critical reception

Rachel Lutwick-Deaner of the Southern Review of Books at the Queen's University of Charlotte wrote, "Readers will easily compare Bell with many greats of our time" and "Bell’s collection is not only a testament to what a fine author can do with a difficult time in history, but it is a work that transcends time and circumstance." Jordan McQueen of Atticus Review wrote, "The places where the gimmicks transcend to become genuinely innovative tools...make the collection well worth the cost of admission in my view."[19]

On his KPFK show "Bibliocracy," Santa Monica Review editor Andrew Tonkovich said the book's "exciting embrace of nearly every available form both challenges the expectation of story and fully engages its opportunities, demands and, lately, urgent requirements."[20]

Critic Samantha Ryan of Pine Hills Review agreed with Tonkovich's view, writing, "These stories are demanding. They confront the reader with the weight of past loss and the fear of an unknown future," adding that "despite their challenging nature, the pieces were deeply therapeutic."[21]

Karla Strand of Ms. listed it in her "December 2022 Reads for the Rest of Us", and described the stories as "unique and potent," adding "its varying formats eerily illustrate the look and feel of our times." In the United Kingdom, publishing industry magazine The Bookseller included the title in its December 2022 "Discover" preview selections.[22]

Notes and References

  1. Sova . Deeanna . Media Release . December 1, 2022 . Hopkinsville Christian County Public Library . .
  2. News: Strand . Karla J. . 2022-12-06 . December 2022 Reads for the Rest of Us . en-US . . 2023-02-03.
  3. Web site: Rothman . Melissa . UofL Libraries: Earth Day 2023: New and Noteworthy . 2023-04-21 . library.louisville.edu . en.
  4. Web site: . 2022-11-30 . Tell Me What You See by Terena Elizabeth Bell . 2023-04-09 . THE BIG THRILL . en-GB.
  5. News: Torian . Jazmine . Author to be featured at Christmas Tea . 2023-02-03 . . en.
  6. News: Fitzgerald . Dave . 2023-01-16 . Dave Fitzgerald Reviews Terena Elizabeth Bell's Story Collection Tell Me What You See . 2023-02-03 . Heavy Feather Review . en.
  7. Web site: 2022-12-01 . Arts & Climate Mosaic . 2023-02-03 . Arts Link Magazine . en . Americans for the Arts.
  8. News: Novick . Nancy . 2022-12-20 . Neighbors Who Write – 2022 Edition . en-US . West Side Rag . New York City . 2023-02-03.
  9. News: Parton . Chea . 2023-01-18 . Tell Me What You See by Terena Elizabeth Bell Episode 2 . 2023-02-03 . Dr. Parton's Literacy in Place . en.
  10. 2022-09-30 . 'Tell Me What You See:' An Interview with Author Terena Elizabeth Bell . 2023-02-03 . A Good Book to End the Day . Terena Elizabeth Bell .
  11. Gabriela Pereira . Ep. 441: Experimental Story Collections – Terena Elizabeth Bell . 2023-02-03 . DIY MFA . 2022-12-21 . Terena Elizabeth Bell . en-US.
  12. News: Brown . Jennifer P. . 2022-12-16 . Sinking Fork native returns home to promote debut short story collection . 2023-02-03 . Hoptown Chronicle . .
  13. Web site: Cerézo . Arvyn . 2023-06-13 . Will AI Threaten Publishing Jobs? . 2023-06-13 . BOOK RIOT . en-US.
  14. News: Alexander . Constance . Terena Bell compels readers to focus with latest work 'Tell Me What You See' . en-US . Northern Kentucky Tribune . 2023-02-03.
  15. News: Lutwick-Deaner . Rachel . 2023-01-20 . "Tell Me What You See" Is A Timeless Collection About Unprecedented Times . 2023-02-03 . Southern Review of Books . . en.
  16. Web site: Terena Elizabeth Bell's Playlist for Her Story Collection 'Tell Me What You See' . 2023-02-21 . largeheartedboy.com.
  17. Web site: Largehearted Boy: Terena Elizabeth Bell's Playlist for Her Story Collection "Tell Me What You See" . 2023-05-06 . largeheartedboy.com.
  18. Jennifer Anne . Gordon . Allison . Martine . VOX VOMITUS with Terena Bell, author of TELL ME WHAT YOU SEE . 2023-02-03 . Authors on the Air . December 7, 2022 . YouTube.
  19. News: McQueen . Jordan . 2022-11-07 . Review of TELL ME WHAT YOU SEE by Terena Elizabeth Bell . 2023-02-03 . Atticus Review . en-US.
  20. Web site: Terena Elizabeth Bell on Tell Me What You See . 2023-06-02 . Bibliocracy Radio . en-US.
  21. Web site: Ryan . Samantha . 2023-06-28 . "When I woke up, I thought 'that's a story'": An Interview with Terena Elizabeth Bell . 2023-06-28 . Pine Hills Review . en.
  22. Web site: The Bookseller – Preview Comments – December 2022: Discover Previews . subscription . 2023-02-03 . The Bookseller.

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