Overall **** Story *** Performance **** -Review by Rox Burkey
Imagine a Death is a complex fiction that unfolds in an unusual narrative style that is truly one-of-a-kind, though at times tedious. It features a Writer, a Photographer, and an Old Man living in an undefined post-apocalyptic city. The story is told through long sentences and the use of complex words, which may pose a challenge in following the story threads. However, Ms. Lee’s unique narrative style effectively shares the past trauma of each character, illustrating their perspective on life and the emotions they may or may not share. Each character’s response to the loss of a loved one early in life is shaped by this trauma, and their thoughts and reactions to the events are like an interior monolog, mirroring the non-linear way the brain works.
The book delves deep into the emotional landscape of its characters as they navigate survival in a city where inhabitants are fleeing, and birds are falling from the sky. Each character carries the emotional baggage of heartache, remorse, dereliction, bitterness, and annoyance. The story immerses listeners in all the nuances and sensations experienced by each character to foster a deeper connection and empathy toward each character’s experiences.
Marie Cinquemani executes a consistent voice with good intonations and speed throughout the novel. The emotional moments are well-timed with an animated voice. Listeners can rest assured that there are no flaws or issues with the production of this audiobook, providing a seamless listening experience.
Fans of Women’s Literary Fiction will find this a novel that displays the world through a complicated lens where the conscious meets the subconscious. In many ways, Imagine a Death could be considered a psychological study bordering on horror within an uncertain love story.
About the Author
JANICE LEE (she/they) is a Korean American writer, teacher, spiritual scholar, and shamanic healer. She is the author of 8 books of fiction, creative nonfiction, & poetry: KEROTAKIS (Dog Horn Press, 2010), Daughter (Jaded Ibis, 2011), Damnation (Penny-Ante Editions, 2013), Reconsolidation (Penny-Ante Editions, 2015), The Sky Isn’t Blue (Civil Coping Mechanisms, 2016), Imagine a Death (Texas Review Press, 2021), Separation Anxiety (CLASH Books, 2022), a finalist for the 2023 Oregon Book Award, and A roundtable, unanimous dreamers chime in, a collaborative novel co-authored with Brenda Iijima (Meekling Press, 2023). An essay (co-authored with Jared Woodland) is featured in the recently released 4K restoration of Sátántangó (dir. Béla Tarr) from Arbelos Films. She writes about interspecies communication, plants & personhood, the filmic long take, slowness, the apocalypse, architectural spaces, inherited trauma, and the Korean concept of han, and asks the question, how do we hold space open while maintaining intimacy? Incorporating shamanic and energetic healing, she teaches workshops on inherited trauma, healing and writing, and practices in several lineages, including the medicine tradition of the Q’ero, Zen Buddhism (in the tradition of Plum Village and Thich Nhat Hanh), plant & animal medicine, and Korean shamanic ritual. She currently lives in Portland, OR where she is the Operational Creative Director at Corporeal Writing and an Associate Professor of Creative Writing at Portland State University.
About the Narrator
Marie Cinquemani is a Program Coordinator & Leader in the greater Chicago area with extensive experience leveraging project management, community networking, and communication strategies to organize and implement creative programming and essential process improvements. Driven communicator with a proven record of cultivating and maintaining robust relationships and key partnerships to drive cross-functional coordination and professional collaboration. Musical professional with a proven history of conducting, teaching, and performing a multitude of music genres, fostering an ability to nurture creative environments in both for and non-profit environments. Versatile mentor with the robust ability to lead teams consisting of both youth and high-level professionals to achieve a common goal. Imagine Death was her first audiobook.
