Only Stars Know the Meaning of Space
A Literary Mixtape
Published on 19. December 2024
Book
Hardback
320 pages
978-1-6680-1246-8 (ISBN)
Description
A vibrant and brilliant new collection of award-winning short fiction from the acclaimed author of the "charming, witty, and incredibly humane" (The Pittsburgh Gazette) debut The Eternal Audience of One.
Presented as a literary mixtape, Only Stars Know the Meaning of Space is a work of literature that provides you with a modern reading experience. The A-Side, read as one narrative, tells the story of a soon-to-be thirty-year-old aspiring writer navigating a complicated world. The B-Side, taken as a separate experience, features (seemingly) independent and unrelated short stories.
There's "Crunchy, Green Apples (or, Omo)", a story about loss told by the strangest of narrative devices: a shopping list. "Sofa, So Good, Sort Of (or, John Muafangejo)" is a first-person account of a family's history and a long journey towards hope. A group of friends attempts to navigate a recent breakup in "From the Lost City of Hurtlantis to the Streets of Helldorado (or, Franco)."
When read together, however, a third world emerges-a complex, intergenerational, and interconnected world exploring the universal gaping void of grief. Rather than attempting to cross this black hole directly, the collection carefully traces around its edges, revealing the enormity of this cosmic force from the "electrifying voice you have been waiting for" (Maaza Mengiste, author of The Shadow King).
Presented as a literary mixtape, Only Stars Know the Meaning of Space is a work of literature that provides you with a modern reading experience. The A-Side, read as one narrative, tells the story of a soon-to-be thirty-year-old aspiring writer navigating a complicated world. The B-Side, taken as a separate experience, features (seemingly) independent and unrelated short stories.
There's "Crunchy, Green Apples (or, Omo)", a story about loss told by the strangest of narrative devices: a shopping list. "Sofa, So Good, Sort Of (or, John Muafangejo)" is a first-person account of a family's history and a long journey towards hope. A group of friends attempts to navigate a recent breakup in "From the Lost City of Hurtlantis to the Streets of Helldorado (or, Franco)."
When read together, however, a third world emerges-a complex, intergenerational, and interconnected world exploring the universal gaping void of grief. Rather than attempting to cross this black hole directly, the collection carefully traces around its edges, revealing the enormity of this cosmic force from the "electrifying voice you have been waiting for" (Maaza Mengiste, author of The Shadow King).
Reviews / Votes
"Ngamije is undeniably an excellent stylist, able to delight, amuse and horrify in equal measure, and Only the Stars Know the Meaning of Space, which feels more connected and cohesive the further you read, is an exciting and fresh approach to a work of collected fictions." -Los Angeles Times "Remy Ngamije has written an absolute marvel of a book--brilliantly conceived and unlike anything I've read before, with each story, chapter, paragraph a declaration of Ngamije's extraordinary gifts."-Dinaw Mengestu, author of SOMEONE LIKE US, John D and Catherine T MacArthur Professor of the Humanities and director of Bard's Written Arts program "Ngamije has a voice like none other. This collection of stories moves beautifully to its own rhythm." -Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, New York Times bestselling author of Chain-Gang All-Stars and Friday Black"Remy Ngamije's Only Stars Know the Meaning of Space is among the most exciting, innovative, and wonderfully observed story collections to appear in recent memory. It's knock-down drag-out funny and overflows with raw honesty. What can't Ngamije do?" -Peter Orner, author of The Second Coming of Mavala Shikongo, winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Award "I love this writing. I'm listening to my mind as I read Only Stars Know the Meaning of Space. Remy writes in a way I've always known, but I've never heard." -Aku Orraca-Tetteh, dj, producer, musician for Florence + The Machine, and Saul Williams "I am actively jealous of Remy's imagination and its daring. Here we have a writer who sees everything, from the absurdities and complexities of Namibian life and then offers them to you wrapped in humor and the tapestry of global south music to say we are all mixed. This is a journey across all genres to paint a picture of an Africa that has globalized onto itself - the West even though the present is peripheral. Through Remy, Windhoek sings its song. Take a listen!" -Mukoma Wa Ngugi, author and Associate Professor of Literatures in English, Cornell University "Ngamije's rich collection follows characters as they navigate the untidiness of their lives, broken relationships, and elusive desires . . . The narratives are finely alert to characters' vulnerabilities, pulling differing worlds into poignant focus."- Booklist "Imaginative and immersive, Ngamije tells stories through poetry and shopping lists, complete with a B-side like a true tracklist. A [study] of music and fiction, Only Stars Know the Meaning of Space is a modern treat."-Our Culture "Ngamije has a lot of fun, and success, with his unconventional structure . . . the prose shines."- Kirkus Reviews
"Ngamije turns heads with his clever and energetic wordplay." - Publishers Weekly
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York, NY
United States
Publishing group
Simon & Schuster
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 233 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 36 mm
Weight
478 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-6680-1246-8 (9781668012468)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
12/2024
Gallery/Scout Press
€13.84
Available for download
Person
Remy Ngamije is a Rwandan-born Namibian writer and photographer. He won the Africa Regional Prize of the 2021 Commonwealth Short Story Prize and was shortlisted for the Caine Prize for African Writing in 2021 and 2020. He is the founder of the Doek Arts Trust, an arts organization which publishes Doek! Literary Magazine, the country's first literary magazine which he cofounded and serves as editor-in-chief. His work has been supported by the Civitella Ranieri Foundation and the Miles Morland Foundation and has been featured in literary festivals in Accra, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Nairobi, Berlin, and Basel. More of his writing can be read on his website: RemyTheQuill.com.