1. Poetry Exemplars by Grace Cavalieri. What else is there to say about Grace’s perpetual dominance over all other pieces on our site? Uncle.


2. E.A. Aymar’s interview with Eryk Pruitt. The “rural noir” writer had a lot of thoughts about filmmaking and the South, and readers lined up to hear them.


3. Philip K. Jason’s review of The Cuban Affair by Nelson DeMille. “Mac is DeMille's narrator, and his distinctive personality and voice dominate the razor-sharp storytelling. Mac's military experiences during two tours in Afghanistan are his personal context for understanding the complex situation in which he has placed himself. He sees things from an infantry officer's perspective — an outlook jaded by shaky alliances, the perils of nation-building, and the conflict between the idealism of ostensible goals and less noble underlying motives.”


4. “The Harsh Lessons of Frankenstein.” Maybe it was Halloween. Or maybe it was that Dorothy Reno’s intelligent consideration of the Mary Shelley classic was too compelling not to reread. Either way, this column from way back last January lured a fresh new audience in October.


5. Adriana Delgado’s interview with Gail Honeyman. The debut novelist talked about threading the needle between humor and tragedy, and how, if she could say something to her titular character in Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, it would be: “You matter.”

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