I remember the day I bought this book; we’d been browsing Barnes & Noble(where else?), and finally my mother had started pressuring me to hurry up and pick something. I chose Bloomability-and on a pure whim, liking the title and cover, I grabbed Places I Never Meant To Be. As I had already read Bloomability countless times, I started with my new purchase that night, and that night it was devoured. It surprised me. Each short story brought subject matter that was a vague part of my mind up to the forefront of my psyche. Including thoughts that I’d maybe pushed away-the type of thoughts that make you feel as if your brain doesn’t have the same template as everyone else’s, and there those thoughts were, directly in front of me. Not that the reading is that easy. I must have re-read “The Beast Is in the Labyrinth” four times before I had a clear mental image and understanding of it.

“Baseball Camp” shocked me-up until that point, I guess I’d managed to elude that kind of open, unabashed abuse in things I read. “Going Sentimental” was equally surprising. I suppose now that I’d managed to elude blatant racial conflict too.

And then there was my favorite of all, “Lie, No Lie”, the cryptic sexuality and great character development of which pulled me into a deep admiration for one of my now-favorite authors, Chris Lynch.

Just go read the book.