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Nicole Flattery

Nicole Flattery's criticism has appeared in the GuardianThe Irish Times and the LRB. Her story collection Show Them A Good Time was published in 2019. Her favourite Chantal Akeman film is News From Home.



Articles Available Online


Chantal Akerman’s ‘My Mother Laughs’

Book Review

October 2019

Nicole Flattery

Book Review

October 2019

There’s a scene in the documentary I Don’t Belong Anywhere, about the Belgian filmmaker’s Chantal Akerman’s life and work, where she discusses her only...

Book Review

August 2018

Lorrie Moore's ‘See What Can Be Done’

Nicole Flattery

Book Review

August 2018

Lorrie Moore writes in her introduction to See What Can Be Done that, at the start of her career,...

Stone   Stone heart Stone deep Stone minded Turn to Stone Stoned Stone I turn to stone when I’m argumentative I turn to stone when I turn chaotic My chaos is a bag of stones I turn to stone when he is on fire I will coat this in stones  I turn   I stone                I roll my stone              I palm my stone         I serve my stone   The stage has been set This set has been staged This set has been stoned by the stony-hearted I am of the stony-hearted I am heart-stone I think the words I am looking for are ‘spite’ and ‘malice’ No, you are stone-cold You are the breaker of stones You, stonecutter You cut the head of my stone, but not my heart Try to touch this Touchstone Touch the touchstone of my want   Of my feast        Of my safety               Of my dark               Of my light             Of my truth   Of my false                 Of my tierce                Of my salt                   Of my sweet   Your slaughter is in flame and slaughter is close to water, is close to laughter, is close to aught I ought to be real here I ought to think again I ought to stammer this home in stones Splint in stones Sprint in stones Glint in stones, but not gravel, not grovel Not pebbled in fear Here’s an interesting question I mean the universe of language is designed to be a stone’s throw from possible, right? A stone’s throw from able Wait Didn’t Abel stone Cain? Didn’t Abel kill his brother? They were family They were blood Use your words Keep your heart stony Create a mouth from your eye, an eye from your mouth  Use your stone heart has a harness Use your eye as a hand  All of you will have to leave something to someone     Gasp   Step into This suffering It is a stroke away from Light It is a stroke away from Horror This claim Is a forward regime Step into This smouldering Step into The smoudler Carry Relief Carry Resistance Carry Tragedy Carry This tragedy Step into The gash Step into His hubris This is not

Contributor

January 2018

Nicole Flattery

Contributor

January 2018

Nicole Flattery’s criticism has appeared in the Guardian, The Irish Times and the LRB. Her story collection Show Them A Good...

Carmen Maria Machado’s ‘Her Body and Other Parties’

Book Review

January 2018

Nicole Flattery

Book Review

January 2018

I’m reluctant to admit this but it’s often easier for me to write about a book I hated rather than a book I loved....

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fiction

May 2014

Preparation for Trial

Ben Hinshaw

fiction

May 2014

Establish remorse from outset. Express bewilderment at sequence of events so unlikely, so absurd and catastrophic. Assure all present...

Feature

Issue No. 19

Ill Feelings

Alice Hattrick

Feature

Issue No. 19

My mother recently found some loose diary pages I wrote in my first year of boarding school, aged eleven,...

poetry

September 2011

Sleepwalking through the Mekong

Michael Earl Craig

poetry

September 2011

I have my hands out in front of me. I’m lightly patting down everything I come across. I somehow...

 

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