Although this is billed at a collection of essays, I thought it read equally well as a very humorous collection of stories about Helen Ellis and her husband. This is Ellis's fourth collection. Lex and Helen seem ideally suited to each other and, in fact, one chapter spells out the things they enjoy sharing (making paper valentines) and the things they don't. WE ARE NOT THE KIND OF COUPLE THAT....goes hiking, for instance.
The coral lounge refers to the second bedroom in their apartment, which they have painted coral (they are child-free) and use it as a place they can privately relax together. These stories take the couple through the Covid years, which they seemed to have survived mentally better than most. Helen can toss out one joke and riff on it endlessly, like in the chapter on snoring or the ones on their cats. Highly recommended for those needing a laugh.
Kevin Tipple
Jerry House
George Kelley
Todd Mason
8 comments:
I'd never heard of her until you mentioned her the other day, so I borrowed her first collection - AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE - and I'm enjoying it so far. "The Wainscoting War" is an email exchange between two neighbors on the same floor of a coop apartment building, fighting by email (mostly) about decorating the halway outside their mutual apartments. I like her zany sense of humor.
I was about to say, so I am writing!, that humorous nonfiction particularly lends itself to a sort of fiction very readily...certainly parody does. Her name rings a bell, but I don't think I've read her work, either, thus far.
I'll have my entry for today up in a short while, which is about a parody of fiction, thus no question (except perhaps among the easily-duped) of any absolute truth (so much as subjective, as all arts-critical truth is, despite certain folks referring to their "objective opinions" when presumably they mean disinterested or honest opinions).
I think I read that one too, Jeff.
And mine is up, thus:
https://socialistjazz.blogspot.com/2023/06/short-story-wednesday-and-moon-be-still.html
Pity I have yet to find a poachable image of the GRUE issue's cover.
What an interesting-sounding look at that relationship, Patti. It sounds engaging. And if anything could test a relationship, it's the COVID years...
Just read her amusing "Dumpster Diving With the Stars."
I have to get that collection.
Sounds very good. I will have to find a copy, maybe one of her earlier ones. Although I think I will skip Southern Lady Code.
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