Best of Isele Anthology

by Ukamaka Olisakwe (Editor), Tracy Haught (Editor)

Overview

From short stories about the dark and the light, and how we loved then and now, to poems en route the world gathering notes of those in search of beginnings and those at their ends, and essays exploring the lost and the found, grief, being— the works in this anthology are unexpected and defiant of conventions. In myriad genres and styles and with the mere power and beauty of their words, the writers in this collection hold a prism to humanity, opening minds to new ways of seeing, of knowing.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781957810041
Publisher:	Iskanchi Press
Publication date:	11/30/2022
Pages:	265
Product dimensions:	5.43(w) x 8.43(h) x 0.87(d)

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Fiction

The Year Of The Sun Esther Ifesinachi Okonkwo 1

Today She Will Saratu Abiola 32

Right Rilla Askew 46

Witch Hazel Gabriela Denise Frank 53

Souvenir Roseline Mgbodichinma 71

The Children of No. 39 Faulks Street Innocent Chizaram Ilo 80

The Only One I Have Not Lost Dennis Mugaa 102

Poetry

Three Poems Uchechukwu Peter Umezurike 125

Three Poems Kelli Russell Agodon 135

Five Poems Adeyele Adeniran 139

Four Poems Joanna George 146

Balls of Mess Muyera Sokoo 151

The One Good Eye of the Room Susan Rich 156

Six Poems Sarah Rebecca Kersley 158

Three Poems Chisom Okafor 164

Nonfiction

Sense Of Touch Nora Nneka 171

Feeling Your Way Home Uche Osondu 176

Serengeti Saga Sylvia K Ilahuka 184

Personal History Of Cantaloupes Theo (Dot) Armstrong 193

Adjuncts In The Age Of Coronavirus Frances Cannon 198

On The Feminine & The Oracular Itiola Jones 215

This Is Not My Hand On Your Back Tyler Orion 224

Cracks In Glass Identities Oluchi S. Agboola 227

An Odd Sort Of Thursday Ria Dhingra 235

Notable Mentions: Short Stories

Glowworm Tayler Bunge 245

What It Means to Be Free Bono Sigudu 262

GMO Desmond Peeples 271

The Trial Boluwatife Oyediran 292

Editorial Reviews

Each piece is like having an orange. Some are sweeter while some have a tang that makes your jaw clench. The writing I’ve read gave me a mix of these feelings but in the end, you went in for another bite.”

-Julia Falcone, NetGalley review

“All of the writers in this anthology are gifted with the ability to lead the readers through their stories in a way that transports them into the worlds of their characters or themselves.”

-Kimbriah, NetGalley review

“I found most of the contributions excellent, across all the represented genres, making this, for me, an above-average collection. There is a wonderful diversity of voices and story, and everything in here, even the pieces I did not enjoy, is worth reading…Isele’s stated mission, according to their website, is to publish writers and artists who hold a mirror to … society, who challenge conventional expectations about ways of being, how to be, and who decides who should be. In this, this excellent compilation succeeds.”

-Jacqueline Nyathi, blogger, ShonaReads

“This is the kind of anthology you can read cover to cover in a couple of sittings, so well do the pieces flow into one another, each long enough to be satisfactory in their own right but short enough to leave you wanting more. Equally, you could savour the book over a couple of weeks letting each story, poem or essay marinate before moving on to the next.”

— Rachel Matthews, Goodreads review

“A poignant anthology of varied works. Some cover topics that are controversial while others are not. All are thought provoking. It should be featured in English classes and courses everywhere.”

— Kel Mo, Educator

“This is a solid collection of stories from the African literary magazine Isele. While not all of the stories grabbed me, I was happy to see a number of pieces about Black joy and happiness and success—too often, a (white) audience only seeks trauma from Black authors. The mix of poetry and prose was well-balanced, and there's a lot here that can and should be taught in high school and college classrooms.”

— Kendra Leonard

From the Publisher