Swamplandia!

I recently read Swamplandia!, by Karen Russell—have you read it?

Some people in my book club thought it was wonderfully written; some of us thought it was unbearably twee. Some thought it was wonderfully written and unbearably twee at the same time.

I'll say this: literary fiction is a genre like any other, with its own conventions and even clichés. And hey, if you don't have to give out the Pulitzer every year, then don't!

I often wish I could just say, "You know what? None of the above."

I haven't yet read The Pale King or the third shortlisted book (whatever that was), so maybe I will still want to shake the Pulitzer committee later on.

But Swamplandia! the dress—now there's a winner.

The ruffly sleeves are unique in my collection.

The scoop neck and little drawstring add shape in areas where you need shape.

And the more you fiddle with the drawstring, the more shape you get.

Hard work pays off!

The square backline (is that a word?) and lack of zipper make the flip side of Swamplandia! almost as interesting as the front.

And it's all held together by a lovely, swampy pattern.

Or am I being too naive about swamps?

I see no reason why a swamp can't have pretty flowers in it, especially if we call it a wetland. Agreed?

All photos by Claire Loeb!