Buying Cigarettes for the Dog, and maybe some for Elyse Friedman

The forthcoming issue of Conan Tobias's keen literary magazine Taddle Creek features a short story of mine called "Buying Cigarettes for the Dog."


It's right here.

"Buying Cigarettes for the Dog" is also the proposed title for my next short-story collection. Anyone want a short story collection by me?

Speaking of story collections, I went to the launch at Type Books last Thursday evening for Elyse Friedman's new book, Long Story Short, from Anansi. It's a gorgeous book and it's so great to see those stories — and the novella she previewed last year at the Fictitious Reading Series — brought together in hardcover. I'm honoured to have been among Elyse's first readers of most of those pieces as she was cranking them out. Hopefully she disregarded all my terrible suggestions.

Elyse's brief reading (why this insistence on brief readings at book launches?!) was perfect (aside from its brevity): the chilling/hilarious opening paragraphs of "The Soother," perhaps the best story in the book.

Elyse has something in the new Taddle Creek, as well. The mag launches on November 28 at the Gladstone Ballroom.

Over and out.