novelist and writing teacher jane alison illuminates the many shapes other than the usual wavelike narrative arc that can move fiction forward the stories she loves most follow other organic patterns found in naturespirals meanders and explosions among others alisons manifesto for new modes of narrative will appeal to serious readers and writers alike as jane alison writes in the introduction to her insightful and appealing book about the craft of writing for centuries theres been one path through fiction were most likely to travelone were actually told to followand thats the dramatic arc a situation arises grows tense reaches a peak subsides but something that swells and tautens until climax then collapses bit masculosexual no so many other patterns run through nature tracing other deep motions in life why not draw on them toow g sebalds the emigrants was the first novel to show alison how forward momentum can be created by way of pattern rather than the traditional arcor in nature wave other writers of nonlinear prose considered in her museum of specimens include nicholson baker anne carson marguerite duras jamaica kincaid clarice lispector gabriel garca mrquez susan minot david mitchell caryl phillips and mary robisonmeander spiral explode is a singular and brilliant elucidation of literary strategies that also brings high spirits and wit to its original conclusions it is a liberating manifesto that says lets leave the outdated modes behind and in thinking of new modes bring feeling back to experimentation it will appeal to serious readers and writers alike