MAGICAL REALISM NEWS FOR MONDAY, MAY 23
Topic: May 2005
SALMAN RUSHDIE is at it again! Fans must pick up a copy of his latest work of magical realist genius, Shalimar the Clown. From a review in Book Standard, we learn about the "sprawling story ripped from today's?and, undoubtedly, tomorrow's?headlines" as the publication's critics give glowing kudos to this latest from the master, described as "a magical-realist masterpiece that equals, and arguably surpasses, the achievements of Midnight's Children, Shame and The Moor's Last Sigh. [Margin editor: I can't wait to sink my teeth into this one!]

Magical realist author DANIEL OLIVAS recently reviewed Luis Alberto Urrea's The Hummingbird's Daughter for the literary blog, ELEGANT VARIATION. Olivas informs us that

"The Hummingbird?s Daughter is [Urrea's] fictionalization of family lore based on twenty years of intense research and interviews. The result resonates with such passion and beauty that it doesn?t matter whether Teresita?s legend is based more on a people?s wishful thinking than truth."

Add one more title to the ever-growing list of "Books to Read!" Let us know what you think; try it out with your book group.

DID YOU KNOW?Margin's incomplete PayPal coding from last winter is no longer so. Hooray! You can pay contest entry fees, send donations or buy copies of Periphery easily using this new convenient feature.

And speaking of contests?. August 1, 2005 is the deadline for Margin's second annual free verse contest. This year's theme: "Evidence of Miracles." Miracles can come from anywhere and are not necessarily the domain of the pious and church-going. Send us your free verse poems witnessing miracles; the humorous, the unpredictable and the outlandish have a good chance here. Patently religious poems won't. Feel free to employ the popularly iconic, the socially secretive, the irreverent. Prize: $100 and publication in the Winter 2006 edition of Margin. Details

KUDOS to Abe Books for putting forth a magical realism sampler page. We find the titles and authors cited there offer a satisfactory representation of our favorite literary form. Great job, Abe!