Fiction Short Stories (single Author)
Contrivances
- Publisher
- ECW Press
- Initial publish date
- May 2012
- Category
- Short Stories (single author)
-
eBook
- ISBN
- 9781770901131
- Publish Date
- May 2012
- List Price
- $9.95
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Description
This debut collection of stories — featuring a talk-show host and her talking hand, a women’s activity group that writes to prisoners, and a poncho-making nudist — is as unique as it is compelling. Set in their own melodramatic worlds, the stories take inspiration from Old Hollywood, Gothic novels, art-world gossip, and maybe a Lifetime movie or two. Balzer's observations are as sharp as Flaubert’s, and his characters are drawn with the complexity of George Saunders (and the wit of George Sanders). Beautifully illustrated throughout, Contrivances proves that tragedy is comedy when you play with it long enough.
About the author
David Balzer has contributed to publications including The Believer, Modern Painters, Artforum.com and The Globe and MailContrivances, a short-fiction collection. He is currently Associate Editor at Canadian Art magazine. Balzer was born in Winnipeg and currently resides in Toronto, where he makes a living as a critic, editor and teacher.
