Monster Portraits is a slim book at 78 pages, published February 27, 2018 by Rose Metal Press. It’s a hybrid of text and drawing, quotes and myth, created by siblings Sofia Samatar (text) and Del Samatar (images). Although I believe all works should speak for themselves, clues about the text are presented on the back cover and with some press materials sent to me: the Samatars are Somali-Americans who grew up in the 80s. Sofia Samatar thinks of Monster Portraits as “a speculative memoir.” That is not to say that had I not known the Samatars are Somali-Americans their book would be less. Instead, I would argue less information would make the pervasive question asked of non-white people — “What are you?” — universal.
You need to prepare yourself to read Monster Portraits. Whatever your call the pieces — flash fiction, poetry, hybrid — they are short. Since each piece is 1-2 pages, has an image of a monster, and the name of a monster, I started referring to the pieces as “portraits.” It made sense and was easier. Within the portraits, the font changes. Italics means there is an end note, typically explaining that the italicized line was pulled directly from another work. Occasionally, there are translations: “Iftakartik masriyyah” means “I thought you were Egyptian.” I’m not a fan of end notes, especially in a book that has so many but also a lot of space at the bottom of the page just waiting for footnotes. Having one finger saving a page in the back was a distraction, I admit.
Beyond the end notes (which I didn’t know about until I was several portraits in), you have to realize that Monster Portraits isn’t narrative driven, which means you should read a few portraits each day, no more. They’re meant to make you think; should you read more than a few, the portraits blend together. After I put these two realizations together, I started the book over again to read better.
The images of the monsters vary in style: some use more pointillism, others crosshatching, and some have a Magic the Gathering style.
Because these stories and images are more like Magic the Gathering cards (name, image, features), what stood out to me more were certain lines or moments instead of whole portraits. The Green Lady, a monster that emerges from the sea and speaks to a woman who sits on the beach) says: “Our castles are of coral; our herds are whales. It is the perfect place for you, excpet that you could not breathe.” This moment stuck out to me because it stung of a reality in which we can be so close to our dreams of fitting in, but something stops us, something we cannot overcome due to how we are born.
In another portrait describing “The Early Ones,” Sofia Samatar suggests she and her brother came to the United States at the wrong time in history, one during which they did not fit easily. At one time, Del Samatar is shot in the leg (in the United States? In Somolia?). In a number of portraits, Samatar’s writing implies the “I” is her, such as when she writes about being a foreigner in a city in which everyone closes their windows to avoid The Huntress:
The Huntress left dark patches wherever she passed. She left a streak. In the morning, the hotel staff would find me unconscious, gummed to the floor. The proprieter weeping, for nothing like this had ever happened in his establishment, nothing. Had I not read the instructions on the desk?
Here is where I understand Monster Portraits to be “speculative memoir.” However, had I not read the press release, I would have assumed “I” was a first-person character. Regardless of the author’s intentions, I feel Monster Portraits is a successful experimental collection of short works. It asks readers, “What is a monster?” Could it be the unknown, such as real creatures in the deepest ocean we don’t have pictures of? Children from other countries who don’t fit seamlessly? The stuff of myths and fables? Perhaps it’s those who see otherness as monstrous.
I want to thank Rose Metal Press for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Grab the Lapels 
This sounds like a really interesting collection of portraits (I like your choice of words here). And it sounds like an innovative approach to written storytelling.
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Oh, Margot! Funny story! Last night, my husband and I were watching Jeopardy! and we try to answer the questions. My husband answered one of the questions with “Margot Kinberg.” I couldn’t stop laughing! He was going for “Margot Martindale,” but he’s seen your name so many times that it stuck! 😂
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😆 I’m famous! Haha
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This sounds absolutely wonderful! And unlike anything I have read before. I really have to check this out at some point.
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Have you read anything by Rose Metal Press? I really like their mission. I highly recommend Kelcey Parker’s collage novel: grabthelapels.com/2016/12/06/
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I haven’t yet, but will definitely check them out!
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Your mission to focus on small presses brings you some really interesting experimental work. I’m jealous. I need something to break up the worthy books I tend to review.
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I had some built-in contacts because I went through a couple of creative writing programs. However, you can always contact small presses and let them know who you are and what you do. They’re happy to connect with bloggers.
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Good thought. Western Australia has some interesting regional presses.
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This sounds fascinating. And an interesting way to approach the subject of “otherness”.
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Rose Metal Press focuses on hybrid texts, so I thought this was a good example of their objects. The book captures the otherness of people and writing styles.
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I love seeing what small presses come out with! They often seem to have more freedom/boldness in style and content.
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I’ve never heard of “speculative memoir” as a genre but that’s awesome. What an inventive way to (sort of) tell your story.
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I’d never heard of it either. I’ve read a memory that told a fairy tale AND the story of the author, who grew up near Hollywood. I’ve read a collage memoir/biography. I’ve read lots of unusual memoir, but not speculative.
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The images in this book seem like they could be a bit haunting, no? It sounds like what the creators are getting at is worthwhile, but it could have been executed in a better way…
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I didn’t like that so many quotes were brought in. If you’re going to write a “speculative memoir,” why not really go at it and explore yourself and your experiences instead of someone else’s words? It’s sort of like in composition class when we say, “Don’t end with a quote.” You’re giving your work over to someone else to take credit.
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hmmm that’s a good point, I never thought about that! a good ‘golden rule’ for writing 🙂
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This is so interesting. The work sounds like a really unique experience. Definitely think the additional information makes the “What are you?” question feel more invasive and frankly makes those being ask feel like a foreign specimen about to be dissected by the asker.
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At the college where I teach, we get a lot of students from other countries. I hear a lot of…not carefully chosen questions. For example, asking the young woman from South Africa if she has a pet lion.
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Ugh, that’s unbelievably rude and asinine.
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I don’t know how I’d get on with the text – I’m not good with “experimental” – but those illustrations look fabulous. And how interesting to have a sibling collaboration – something that happens surprisingly rarely…
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Yeah, I don’t think this collection is for you, though I can see the illustrations going with some of the Tuesday Terror pieces you read!
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I hadn’t heard of that category either, but I also just learned of speculative poetry last year (which, now, seems obvious, if only written by/for Magic players)! This kind of project always makes me wish that I had a sibling; I can imagine that kind of collaboration would be really intense and exciting between family members.
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I…don’t think my brother and I have collaborated on anything in our lives. We’ve collaborated on not killing each other.
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I read half of the book and feel like the portaits are like cubes of fudge. Very rich in imagery, but one’s teeth begin to itch after a few in one sitting. I liked what I read, but now I want to make fudge…
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What an interesting sounding book! I’m liking those illustrations!
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I enjoyed it more as an art piece than a book with a story. I see you are catching up with all the posts you missed. I both want to encourage you in your quest but also tell you it’s okay if you miss some posts and start anew 😉
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🙂 Yep, I’m getting caught up! Slowly getting there!
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