The Birdcatcher by Gayl Jones

I had never read anything by this author, and now in the span of a couple of months I have read two books. This was short listed for the 2022 National Book Award, and I have recently been trying to read these because they largely do not disappoint. While I liked this, I did not love it. I just finished the author's previous book, Palmares, just a few weeks ago, and which is spectacular, and maybe this suffers in comparison. That is not a fair comparison to make, but I do not think that is the whole of it. This is much shorter, and while it picks up themes and motifs of healing, magic and dreams that were a big part of her last book, it wasn't quite as lyrical. On the upside, the book delves into the complexities of relationships and friendships, all under the umbrella of those who work as artists. Amanda is a writer and Catherine a sculptor and they have a long and somewhat uneasy relationship. Much of the novel is told in seemingly random spurts of dialogue, where the reader must pick up stray clues and make subtle connections, and in the end, the reader is left to draw their own conclusions about the creative process and the toll it takes. The book is thought provoking, well written, a little bit sexually explicit, and altogether worth reading.