LORNA SORE

In his review of Leni Zumas’ debut collection, Farewell Navigator, Justin Taylor writes:

“Zumas—whether she knows it or not—is part of an established tradition of decisively female (though not necessarily feminine) magic realism that at its best gives us Shelley Jackson and Aimee Bender, and at its worst, Karen Russell and Jeanette Winterson.”

First - it’s lame & aggressive that he wrote “whether she knows it or not.”

Second - his characterization doesn’t mean anything. He’s invented a fake, gendered tradition to legitimize his slick & boring review of the author’s gender, instead of her work.