Multiply/Divide: On the American Real and Surreal

This book's title might lead the unwary reader to anticipate a tract on theory or aesthetics. Instead, it's a combination of essays, reportage, and memoir. It follows in the footsteps of Walters's work as a poet (Troy, Michigan), which typically explores urban space and racial identity. Evoking Woolf and Plath, Walters reflects on the role of place in our lives. Identity, culture, and narration take center stage as she leads readers through the physical and psychical spaces of cities such as Chicago and Cleveland. The main emotional note is anger, as when Walters writes that "there are times when I got so frustrated about the ways individuals failed to see me that I wanted to kick them to make sure they would have strong feelings for me." This book will appeal to some readers who connect with its deeply personal themes, but others may find it self-indulgent. (Aug.)