reviews

Author: Jeff Strand Sometimes, you have to let go of dreams to survive. Jaunty, Guffaw, Wagon, Reginald, and Bluehead all know this. You see, they are all clowns. Not the scary kind – of course not! They are pleasant clowns, all about the lighthearted, the slapstick, the family friendly entertainment, laughs and cheers. Unfortunately, no one really wants that anymore: too many scary moves, too much of a cultural change. And even though Jaunty and his friends holdout, stand by their dreams and the sacred profession of pleasant clowns, they need to keep the lights on. They need to eat. And [...]

Poetic Irony & Hateful Characters Author: Debra Monroe I’m not quite sure how Wild, Cold State found its way into my overflowing book collection, although the battered, plastic wrapped cover makes me suspect a library sale. When the going rate is as-much-as-you-can-carry for a dollar, I tend to buy on a whim: I liked the title. I liked the gorgeous car on the cover with its yesterday-I-was-cool, today-I-am-lost vibe. What I didn’t like so much is the actual stories that are equal parts depressed irony and lyrical gravity. Wild, Cold State is a collection of eight semi-linked short stories, each [...]