the name might be familiar because he penned the novel Running With Scissors which was turned into a film last year. it details his crazy upbringing where he spent the better part of his formative years shuffling between the homes of his bipolar mother and her psychiatrist who had his own houseful of misfits.
i am reading a series of short stories that he wrote. i love the short story as a literary form. it's all about moments in time in people's lives. i love the way that the good ones let you dive right into a three dimensional place that's familiar. i love the singular focus, sometimes humourous, sometimes desperate, sometimes quietly mundane.
being a fan of the form, i've devoured carol shield's work, anne hebert's, ernest hemingway's (which kick his novels' proverbial asses!) and dave eggers', so i was pleased to discover a new voice to track when i'm in my favourite bookstore looking for a mental snack for the subway.
the collection of stories entitled Magical Thinking, is based on true events. each of them are both hilarious and endearing. i've found myself smirking shamelessly and even laughing out loud at one point. i love a good laugh when i am reading. love to be able to identify in a seinfeld kind of way to the quirks of an openly flawed protagonist.
my favourite story so far centres around his discovery of a mouse in his bathtub and his efforts to rid himself of the cretin. it details the way its mere presence has tainted his tub forever, rendering a soothing soak forever out of the question.
that's all for now. run out and read this! it won't disappoint.
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