Author Archives: emilycchoate

Feels good right now to do some small bit for authors who’ve had to cancel their book tours this spring. Here’s my review of Katy Simpson Smith’s fascinating, millennia-spanning novel The Everlasting, which was released last week. My review’s up … Continue reading →

Some artists hold unique power when it comes to seeing us through dark times. For me, one of those artists is Patti Smith. Thanks to Maria Browning and Chapter 16 for running this piece of mine, despite the cancellation of … Continue reading →

I’m delighted to share my latest review for Chapter 16, this one of Louise Erdrich’s new novel, The Night Watchman. Her novels are always a pleasure, as well as a challenge to the spirit. I didn’t want this one to … Continue reading →

I am thrilled to have short fiction published in the newest issue of Mississippi Review! Seeing my story so well-presented means the world to me. (And this issue’s lineup—Tiana Clark, Hanif Abdurraqib, Maggie Smith, Amina Gautier, Nick White, and a … Continue reading →

Because I haven’t had many personal essays published, I’m extra thrilled to share this new piece! It roams over some holiday ground, prompted by my lifelong pull toward Dylan Thomas’ “A Child’s Christmas in Wales.” Here are some lines: “Thomas … Continue reading →

I really enjoyed reviewing Step into the Circle: Writers in Modern Appalachia, which was co-edited by novelist Amy Greene. In this book, Appalachian writers profile each other, and the profiles are augmented by great photography. The result is insightful and … Continue reading →

It’s the best kind of challenge to review an ambitious novel. And the best pleasure to review one that you love. My review of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ debut novel, The Water Dancer, is up today at the ambitious and lovely Chapter 16. You can … Continue reading →

I’m pleased to share my review of Elizabeth Chiles Shelburne’s debut novel, Holding On To Nothing. It’s always great to see familiar Appalachian literary tropes made into something fresh. My review is up today at the always-refreshing Chapter 16.

I’m very excited to share a new Q&A I’ve done with the wonderful fiction writer Anne Valente. She’s the author of two novels, Our Hearts Will Burn Us Down and this year’s The Desert Sky Before Us. You can read our Q&A over at Bayou … Continue reading →

I’m happy to share my review of an engaging debut novel, The Affairs of the Falcóns, by Melissa Rivero. I especially valued this novel’s wonderful protagonist, an undocumented Peruvian-born mother named Ana, who’s struggling to keep her family intact in New York … Continue reading →