Here’s Jennifer Spiegel with her take on her favorite piece from Issue Eight:
“I just liked the title. ‘You Enjoy Myself.’ I had to take a closer look. Then I saw that Frank wasn’t even the author’s real name, and that Frank was a girl. After that, I noticed that Frank lived in Nova Scotia, and I once had a roommate from Nova Scotia.
The story. Well, the thing that truly, really, earnestly sucked me in is that it’s remarkably similar to my own story. Has anyone noticed that? Will Frank hate me for saying this? I read it, getting a little nervous about porn on the web, but ultimately found it moving, rich, and subtle. (There is no porn on the web in my story). But Ms. Frank took a day, a seemingly ordinary day with deceptively simple — though utterly engaging detail — and rendered it extraordinary. I am especially drawn to stories with a keen eye for authentic detail (emphasis on ‘authentic’) and this story breathed, if you will, of it: from the anti-perspirant in the armpits (gross!) to the the mold on the fried egg sandwich (gross!), from the potatoes cold in the middle to the magic of this line: ‘He decides that his true story is worthy of fiction.’ And then the end is soft and meaningful. I don’t know what I mean by ‘soft,’ but I felt that way.
I like something funny and authentic that means something too. This story was funny and authentic, and it meant something too.
It just dawned on me. Maybe Frank IS my old roommate.”