Read a neat little (18 pgs.) chapbook by Matt Debenedictis, CONGRATULATIONS! There's No Last Place If Everyone Is Dead, featuring very finely chiseled sentences comprising flash fictions of a decidedly morbid edginess. Some real talent on display here, well worth reading.
Really liked Mary Miller's story collection Big World. The 14-30 yr. old female protagonists of these pieces are generally pretty screwed up from having bad parenting and/or profound tragedies to deal with and there is much escapist behavior in the form of drinking and casual sex going on but the narrative voice, which is consistent throughout, is witty, sarcastic, funny, a bit cynical but also frequently insightful making for a very engaging reading experience. The writing does raise for me the issue of whether characters who show such a lack wisdom in the poor choices they make in their daily lives can believably display the kind of wit, intelligence and insight these women do. This didn't significantly detract from my enjoyment of Miller's fiction, however, due to the charm of that very same drollery.
Thanks for giving 'Congatulations!' a recomending word. Hoooray!
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure Matt. Keep up the good work!
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