Five Stars- The Rope Artist: Review by Alarie Tennille

The Rope Artist: small ekphrastic fictions, by Lorette C. Luzajic 
Mixed Up Media Books, 2023
Cover art by Caroline Bacher.
Click here to view on Amazon.    

Luzajic is likely one of the few people in the world who has taken up William Blake’s challenge “to see a world in a grain of sand,” but she does even better. She squeezes a dozen or more parallel universes into 141 pages of short fictions based on art. On top of that, knowing the art involved or troubling to search for it on the internet isn’t necessary. You may get an extra thrill when you recognize the art or already love Freddie Mercury, but you’ll be amazed and awed just to experience each fiction. While each piece is inspired by some form of art, Luzajic also throws in a short quote: whipped cream on top.

I normally place check marks and stars in the table of contents for poems or short fiction to know which pieces to visit again or quote in a review. I marked a few stars here, but realized quickly that it was a waste of time. The entire collection is astounding. If you happen to be squeamish about evil events, she’ll soon push the darkness away with writing that is charming and full of whimsy, or maybe with romance or a heartwarming family story. It’s like an all-you-can-eat buffet of wonder. You know you eat more when the choices are seemingly endless.

If you are a regular contributor or reader of The Ekphrastic Review on line, I’ve just wasted my time in reviewing this. You already know this book will be one of your best reads of the year.

Alarie Tennille

Alarie Tennille graduated from the first coed class at the University of Virginia, where she earned her B.A. in English, Phi Beta Kappa key, and black belt in Feminism. She appears frequently in The Ekphrastic Review. Her ekphrastic collection, Three A.M. at the Museum, is available from Kelsay Books.