Ali Smith's 'Spring' Unfolds Like A Fern
The latest volume in Smith's seasonal quartet revisits some of her familiar themes — the bleakness of contemporary politics, loss, fractured families, nature and art — yet still feels spring-fresh.
Among my favorite contemporary authors, Ali Smith leads the parade. I love the brassy blast of her outrage at the world's injustices and the drumbeat of her passion for the arts. This Scottish writer gravitates naturally to outsiders and really understands loss and grief. She takes a genuine interest in old people and what we can learn from them, but also sees hope for the future in smart young people. I love her clever wordplay, her insistence on the life-enhancing possibilities of
