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Author: Alanna Rieser
Women & Children First Bookstore: A Chicago Destination
by, Alanna Rieser
August 16, 2016

On the north side of Chicago, I discovered Women & Children First, one of the largest feminist bookstores in the country. With an inventory of more than 30,000 books written by and for women, this independent bookstore caters exclusively to women, children, and the LGBTQ community. If you’ve never visited a feminist bookstore, you may have seen one on TV. Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein… [Read More]

Filed Under: Andersonville, Chicago, Feminist Bookstore, Lincoln Park, Linda Bubon, Portlandia, Women & Children First, Women's Voices Fund
1 Comment
Swenson Book Development: What We’re Reading This Summer
by, Alanna Rieser
July 26, 2016

August is reading month and if you’re looking for something to take to the beach or enjoy at the cabin, consider these current titles the team at Swenson Book Development LLC is reading now. Samantha Kolb: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas     Alanna Rieser: The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway Mother… [Read More]

Filed Under: A Court of Thrones and Roses, Esther the Wonder Pig, Fawaz Gerges, Hope Jahren, ISIS, Lab Girl, LaRosa, Louise Erdrich, Sarah J. Maas, The Hatching
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Choosing to follow your own path
by, Alanna Rieser
June 21, 2016

Amidst the nervous titter of soon-to-be graduates, I could feel the excitement boiling under the clean, black robes at Lawrence University’s graduation ceremony. This year’s commencement speaker was Lan Samantha Chang. An Appleton WI native, Chang is the author of Hunger, All is Forgotten, Nothing is Lost, and Inheritance. Hunger is a novella and collection of short stories, published in 1988. Chang’s prose follows the… [Read More]

Filed Under: commencement, graduation, Hunger, immigration, Inheritance, Iowa Writers Workshop, Lan Samantha Chang
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How Reading Poetry Makes You a Better Writer
by, Alanna Rieser
May 24, 2016

Contemporary poetry strays from traditional ideas of a poem: rigid structure, definitive rhyme scheme, commonly about nature or love. Poetry exemplifies and dissects certain internal states, tracing racial, political, and gendered themes of universality and solitude. At my university, I’m currently enrolled in a class dedicated to Contemporary American Poetry where we discuss the complexities of this genre. I’ve found studying poetry makes me a… [Read More]

Filed Under: Claudia Rankine, Life on Mars, metaphors, poetry, Tracy K. Smith
No Comments
Writing in more than one language
by, Alanna Rieser
April 26, 2016

Anyone who enjoys the painstakingly difficult process of writing probably has a love for words, which inspires their masochistic writer’s journey. Those who understand the slight intricacies of words and the importance of sentence structure choose their statements wisely, editing, re-editing, and editing again. This process is multiplied twofold for a writer who speaks more than one language, carrying with them the difficulty of creating… [Read More]

Filed Under: Carolyn Porter, colloquial expressions, French, Newell Searle, Paris, Spanish, Tracy K. Smith, translation
2 Comments
Writing for Ramen
by, Alanna Rieser
March 8, 2016

“You know, there’s no market for writers anymore.” “So, you’re going to be a teacher.” “I hope you like Ramen.” These are the three most common responses when I tell someone my major in college. While poking fun at English majors is one of America’s favorite past times, it is discouraging to have my main interest written off (pun intended) as something I cannot pursue… [Read More]

Filed Under: gain experience, graduate school, Hemingway, Ramen, teaching, writing career
3 Comments
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