HOBART

Second person, I’ve always noticed, has the distinction of being both intimate and repellent at the same time. A quick way of drawing the reader close but also hard to sustain for any length of time. Only so much a person likes being addressed as “you” by a complete stranger. I knew I’d lose people with the approach, but I was going to lose people anyway. That’s the nature of fiction: despite all our lofty claims of universality, no piece of art is for everyone

9 notes
See Post tags #New Yorker #Junot Diaz #Miss Lora #Drown #Oscar Wao #shortreads #short story month

There are rumors and there is the truth and there are true rumors. You want the rundown? Here’s the rundown. Hit a kid with a bat and gave him brain damage, yes. Flashing, yes. Burning my bowel movements, no. Have I been to the bughouse? I’ve been to the bughouse. Am I insane? Does my opinion even count? Remember all the newspaper stories about how the game makes kids crazy? Makes them do horrible things? … Love those. Take, for example, suicides. The game doesn’t create suicides. If anything, it postpones them. I mean, the world gives you many reasons to snuff it, got to admit.

8 notes
See Post tags #Sam Lipsyte #The Dungeon Master #The New Yorker #short story month

My story won’t end here. I’ll start my own foundation, certify myself. The American League got a late start, but don’t they win their share of all-star games?

5 notes
See Post tags #Sam Lipsyte #The Wisdom of the Doulas #The Fun Parts #American League #baseball #short story month

Also, I was in possession of a positive outlook, which is just a trick whereby you convince yourself that the desolation of your world is a phase in your personal growth.

The weird thing is it works.

11 notes
See Post tags #Sam Lipsyte #The Worm in Philly #The Fun Parts #short story month #positive outlook