All of the sudden the press starts following the boring everyday exploits of a regular person.

(From Zoetrope All-Story, Summer 2008)

It should be funny and intriguing and quirky when a regular guy’s attempts to ask out a co-worker turn up on TV and in the papers. But it’s not. It feels tired without immediately conjuring up where we might’ve seen this idea before. (The Monty Python “Michael Ellis” maybe?) And also he’s not a normal guy — his reactions are cartoonish and fake. Ah well.

I haven’t been reading many stories lately because I’ve been devoting my time to Vacation, the debut novel by Deb Olin Unferth. It’s excellent. It’s crazy.