On "Genesis" by Madeleine Grant (2646 words) ***

The elements of this story are quite familiar--religion, family, the death of a loved one. On that, this story does not stand out. What pulled me into it, however, was the author's language, which seems competent indeed. The materials that Grant works with make for a specificity that would be shared by few. I reminded of a freshman essay I read years ago. It was about a family Christmas gathering. It was so well done that I felt like I could have walked into that room and opened one of the gifts. "Genesis" has a similar feel. Read it here at Arbutus.