The Noracle

£12.00

From the incomparable literary mind of Nora Chassler comes The Noracle, a kaleidoscopic reimagining of the I Ching. Styled in a matrix-like structure, these multi-part meditations provide a fresh take on the author's great subject – a childhood amongst the grim vibrancy of '80s and '90s New York City – examining the formation of memory, creativity and identity, amid the chaos of self-discovery.

As the fragmented scenes move towards the present day, the text offers an insight into the transformative and sometimes perilous power of literature itself; of stories as lifelines and labyrinths. Through the lens of a writer's awakening, it captures the electric intimacy between words and the soul, where the act of creation blurs into obsession.

Layered, raw, and reverent, The Noracle channels the spirit of the oracle itself, offering riddles and revelations that challenge the reader to navigate their own truths. It’s a love letter to the written word and a cautionary tale of its intoxicating grip, told with the inventive energy of concrete poetry and the tender wisdom of someone who has lived – and nearly lost themself to – the power of stories.

From the incomparable literary mind of Nora Chassler comes The Noracle, a kaleidoscopic reimagining of the I Ching. Styled in a matrix-like structure, these multi-part meditations provide a fresh take on the author's great subject – a childhood amongst the grim vibrancy of '80s and '90s New York City – examining the formation of memory, creativity and identity, amid the chaos of self-discovery.

As the fragmented scenes move towards the present day, the text offers an insight into the transformative and sometimes perilous power of literature itself; of stories as lifelines and labyrinths. Through the lens of a writer's awakening, it captures the electric intimacy between words and the soul, where the act of creation blurs into obsession.

Layered, raw, and reverent, The Noracle channels the spirit of the oracle itself, offering riddles and revelations that challenge the reader to navigate their own truths. It’s a love letter to the written word and a cautionary tale of its intoxicating grip, told with the inventive energy of concrete poetry and the tender wisdom of someone who has lived – and nearly lost themself to – the power of stories.

Praise for Nora Chassler

“Nora Chassler is the best writer you’ve never heard of.”
— Rónán Hession, The Irish Times

“There are very few books you wish to reread immediately upon finishing, but Madame Bildungsroman was one for me. I highly recommend her other books as well. In a hundred years it’s possible having known Nora will be the other thing I am remembered for.”
— Sean Ono Lennon

“Extraordinary ... breaks all moulds ... a triumphant vindication of the edgy, eccentric demotic as a compelling narrative voice.”
— William Boyd, The Guardian

“Chassler offers a brilliant perspective on existence through fragments and aperçus: ambiguous, acerbic, moving and searingly intelligent.”
— Regi Claire

 

About the Author

Nora Chassler was born in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1972, and grew up in New York City. She is the author of two novels, Miss Thing (Two Ravens Press, 2010) and Grandmother Divided by Monkey Equals Outer Space (Valley Press, 2015), both currently awaiting reissue. Three genre-bending publications have since followed, all with Valley Press – a collection of ‘fragments, pensées and table-talk’ titled Madame Bildungsroman’s Optimistic Worldview (2017), an epic poem, The Minnow Would Be Lost (2020), and the I Ching-inspired The Noracle (2025). She lives on the Scottish coast.

Vital Statistics

Imprint: Valley Press
Edition: First (May 2025)
Paperback ISBN: 9781915606563
Catalogue number: VP0246
Page count: 72
Trim size: 229x152mm

 

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