Humor Balances Heartbreak and Obsession in 'I Tell Henrietta,' Tina Barry’s Hybrid Collection of Poems and Short Fiction

AIM Higher, Inc. announces the release of I Tell Henrietta, a collaboration between the writer Tina Barry and the visual artist Kristin Flynn.  I Tell Henrietta, the author’s third full-length collection, contains 40 pieces of what Nathan Leslie, author of The Best Small Fictions, calls a “startling and eclectic, vividly unclassifiable,” work, adding that it is “a must-read for those who love small works containing multitudes.” Kristin Flynn’s nine original artworks, inspired by the writing, complement the storyline while creating their own visual narrative.

The title character “Henrietta” serves as a confidant and portal for a narrator haunted by family dramas, as well as a succession of romantic mishaps. Water and its ability to both sooth and smother flow through the stories that are rife with pools, lakes, and oceans. Swans appear frequently, including a date who shows up dressed as one. A sub-theme explores how aging upends the mother/daughter relationship.

Mary Biddinger, author of Department of Elegy and Professor and Chair of the Department of English at the University of Akron, says “Barry shares truths of girlhood and womanhood, showcasing moments that drift from real into surreal,” adding that she “has a talent for recasting ordinary scenes in a way that transforms them into deeply felt revelations that resonate far beyond the page.”

A teaching artist at the Poetry Barn and Writers.com, Barry lives in New York’s Hudson Valley. She has been published widely in newspapers, magazines, literary journals, and anthologies, including Rattle, Verse Daily, and, in a spotlighted story, The Best Small Fictions. She holds an MFA in creative writing from Long Island University, Brooklyn, and has been nominated several times for the Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net, and Best Microfiction awards. Her previous books are Beautiful Raft (2019) and Mallflower (2016) both published by Big Table Publishing.

Kristin Flynn holds a B.F.A. in Fashion Design from Parson School of Design, and an A.A.S. in textiles from Rochester Institute of Technology. She has exhibited her paintings and drawings in solo and group exhibitions throughout the New York area.

In his review of the collection, Glynn Young writes, "I Tell Henrietta is one of the most unusual and creative collections I’ve read….the images are vivid, and the words are as sharp and clear as cut gemstones.” The book is available at http://www.aimhigher.org/books in paperback and jacketed hardcover editions and at all major third-party retailers.

About AIM Higher, Inc.

AIM Higher publishes books that blur boundaries, negate binaries, interrogate, confound, and delight. They open portals into unmapped and magical dimensions and honor intuition and collaboration. AIM Higher, Inc. is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to help artists thrive by providing the opportunities and community needed to share their vision and art with the world. For more, visit http://www.aimhigher.org.