I have been talking A LOT lately about R. L. Maize’s dazzling collection of short stories, “We Love Anderson Cooper,” and I can’t help but begin by explaining the quirky title.
Do you think you can know from a title that you are going to love what’s inside?
I think so.
I adored the 11 stories in this collection. The characters are relatable and real in their imperfections, outsiders knowing they don’t quite fit in, unsure of their place. The humanity of these stories is what ties them together.
We Love Anderson Cooper
OK, so the title. Twelve year-old Markus is preparing for his Bat Mitzvah, the sacred rite of passage in the Jewish faith when a boy becomes a man. He is horrified that the reading from Leviticus on his Bar Mitzvah date, words that he is obliged to chant, is anti-homosexual. Being gay himself, he decides he in no way can recite these words.
He confides to his teenage boyfriend that he has another plan in mind, to come out on his Bar Mitzvah in front of family and friends, a move that will garner wide attention through social media and might lead to Internet fame and possibly an invitation to appear on The Ellen Show.
The big day arrives, and he believes he is ready. But … the outcome is not exactly as he had planned.
Afterwards, his liberal but nonplused parents press him to explain why he kept his sexual identity a secret from them.
Why didn’t you talk to us first? We would have understood. We love Anderson Cooper.”
I love that.
In “The Infidelity of Judah Maccabee,” insurance manager Barry struggles with being Jewish at Christmas time, fearing “… he would always be an outsider in America.” His non-Jewish girlfriend wants to show him she is supportive of Hanukkah.
For dinner, Anette served warm, creamy blintzes with sour cream and applesauce. Barry sat back and admired the golden crepes. “Like the kind my mother used to buy,” he said.
Mixed in with the humor is a touch of edginess, in stories like “A Cat Called Grievous,” in which a mother is obsessed with a feral cat at the expense of her child’s safety. In “Yiddish Lessons,” the strictures of the Orthodox community cause a teenage girl to feel unworthy and isolated, resulting in a tragedy.
There’s also the element of fantasy. In “Ghost Dogs,” Paula is haunted by the sounds of her dogs coming in and out of the house, even though she knows they both died suddenly due to a terrible mistake she made. In “Tattoo,” a tattoo artist becomes famous for his work with breast cancer patients, and ultimately is able to use three dimensional tattoos to transforms flawed body parts into impossible perfection.
Because I love animals so, I was charmed that they — cats, dog, even birds — figure prominently into many of the stories.
My anticipation for reading this collection was surpassed only by the thrill it was to consume it, a delicious feast of exceptional writing. I have been a fan of the talented R.L. Maizes for a long time, having read her pieces in The New York Times and other places. She always writes with eloquence, compassion, and wit. Her pieces have been awarded prizes and many accolades, and she is a Pushcart Prize nominee. Many of the stories in this collection have appeared in prominent literary magazines.
Good news: Ms. Maizes has a novel coming out soon.
I. Can’t. Wait.
Humor writer Vikki Claflin consistently makes me laugh and here are a couple of reasons why:
