“From animals are drawn good burning lights, and good medicines against burning; Though the seminal humour seems of a contrary nature to fire, yet the body compleated proves a combustible lump, wherein fire findes flame even from bones, and some fuell almost from all parts; though the metropolis of humidity seems least disposed unto it, which might render the skulls of these urns less burned than other bones.”
–Sir Thomas Browne, from Hydriotaphia or Urne Buriall, 1658
Perhaps the first clue that sound becomes sense, even when sense is no sense.
Joseph Young is the author of Easter Rabbit.
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John Madera is the author of Nervosities (Anti-Oedipus Press, 2024) and Nomad Science (Spuyten Duyvil Press, forthcoming in 2026). His fiction is also published in Conjunctions, Salt Hill, Hobart, The &Now Awards 2: The Best Innovative Writing, and many other journals. His poetry is also published in elimae, Sixth Finch, Contrapuntos, and elsewhere. His criticism is published in American Book Review, Bookforum, The Review of Contemporary Fiction, Rain Taxi: Review of Books, The Believer, The Brooklyn Rail, and many other venues. Recipient of an M.F.A. in Literary Arts from Brown University, two-time New York State Council on the Arts awardee John Madera lives in New York City, where he runs Rhizomatic and manages and edits Big Other.
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Hey Joseph,
Baroque prose–yes! You know, I would never have guessed that you would have chosen Sir Thomas Browne. Although, when I think of your complex use of metaphor it makes sense. How did you first come to know his work? I think I mentioned this to you already, but Hydriotaphia, Urn Burial, or a Discourse of the Sepulchral Urns lately found in Norfolk is on my reading queue for this year.