Dear Alter by Jiaqiao Liu. AUP (2025). RRP: $30. PB, 116 pp. ISBN: 9781776711697. Reviewed by Dani Yourukova. I am on a long distance call, sloping about the kitchen in my socks, when I notice that my mum uses ‘he’ pronouns for ChatGPT now. She’s annoyed because I made her feel guilty about the environmental…
Maania Tealei’s exhibition Whakahōnore i tō tātou taonga tuku iho: Honouring Our Legacy exhibited at the Aigantighe Art Gallery in Timaru, 14th June–10th August 2025. Māui and Muriranga-whenua. Whaitiri and Tāwhaki. These pūrākau—ancestral stories—are reminders of the enduring influence of Māori kaumātua (elders), who appear within them as guides, guardians, and teachers. These stories live…
Arthur lives at the edge of town. His house is rife with infestation, with weeds and aphids and pests of all varieties. The house is tucked away by the end of the court. It is the scourge of your street. * Arthur’s front yard is full of birds. He used to tend vegetables there, ripe…
i) Did you know, she said, There’s a theory our universe might exist inside a black hole? Really? he replied. Pass the salt. The flurry of salt he shook onto the already seasoned steak flaked the surface like snow. When he sliced the meat, she felt it, almost. A slit down her spine. Her meal…
‘Are you going to this book club thing, or not?’ The husband swats onions around the pan. ‘I’ll probably be the oldest, straightest one there. God, how depressing. Maybe I won’t go.’ But the wife is pulling on boots, looking for her handbag and scoffing a cheese cracker. ‘But you’re not straight,’ he gloats. ‘Well…