In a world that seems too absurd to be true, is there still a use for satire?
In the September 2018 All But True event (Wednesday, 9/26, 6 p.m.), two gifted authors take cutting looks at contemporary life. Their books alternate satire and poignancy, deeply felt scenes and laugh-out-loud passages. They delve into both the mysteries and the ridiculousness of our skewed contemporary life.
THE GLITCH by Elisabeth Cohen is a send-up of tech life and its frenzied have-it-all culture. Shelley Stone, a super-efficient Silicon Valley CEO and mother of two, thinks she has everything under control. She takes power naps while waiting in line and schedules sex with her husband for when they’re already changing clothes. But when she meets a young woman also named Shelley Stone who has the exact same scar on her shoulder, Shelley has to wonder: Is she finally buckling under the pressure?
In the September 2018 All But True event (Wednesday, 9/26, 6 p.m.), two gifted authors take cutting looks at contemporary life. Their books alternate satire and poignancy, deeply felt scenes and laugh-out-loud passages. They delve into both the mysteries and the ridiculousness of our skewed contemporary life.
THE GLITCH by Elisabeth Cohen is a send-up of tech life and its frenzied have-it-all culture. Shelley Stone, a super-efficient Silicon Valley CEO and mother of two, thinks she has everything under control. She takes power naps while waiting in line and schedules sex with her husband for when they’re already changing clothes. But when she meets a young woman also named Shelley Stone who has the exact same scar on her shoulder, Shelley has to wonder: Is she finally buckling under the pressure?
“The Glitch takes a hard look at the definition of work-life balance. Through hilarious antics and sensational story lines, Elisabeth Cohen encourages readers to slow down, take a breath and consider the perspective of a younger you. Would that person think you are living your best life?” --THE WASHINGTON POST
“An ambitious and entertaining novel … Cohen is a shrewd writer.” --THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
Kathy Anderson’s BULL AND OTHER STORIES (winner of the Autumn House Fiction Prize) mixes dark humor with raw moments of pain and misunderstanding. Focusing on characters whose predicaments are typically ignored—a funeral driver, a lesbian power couple, a boy upset that his father has become a woman—she pulls us into situations that are just far enough beyond the conventional to intrigue and disturb us. Are these lives tipping into farce or tragedy—or both?
“These short stories pack an emotional punch and leave the reader feeling both pleasure and an immense feeling of loss. The collection asks the reader to move on, but the emotional weight stays with you long after you finish.” --MID-AMERICAN REVIEW
“Disorienting and illuminating, playful and often penetrating, the stories of Kathy Anderson astonish. She has already established herself as a powerful new voice on the national literary scene.” —David Lynn, editor of THE KENYON REVIEW
The event includes author readings, discussion, book signings, and refreshments. The venue is the Penn Book Center, 34th & Sansom Streets in West Philly, adjacent to the University of Pennsylvania.
