a few weeks ago, i stumbled upon a blog post beckoning "literary types" to read a certain underdog nominee in the essay category of the National Magazine Awards. i downloaded the piece and, confused by its categorization as an essay (which i now realize is a broad and ambiguous term), left it to linger on my desktop until a serious moment of boredom arrived. that moment arrived half an hour ago when, again in the throes of jet lag, i chained myself to my laptop when i awoke at 2:55 am. nevertheless, i ventured to read this looming essay, which turned out to be more of a short story and a brilliant one in fact.
originally appearing in the Georgia Review, the story entitled "Russell and Mary" written by Michael Donohue, chronicles the story of a young Brooklynite tenant whose notoriously mean landlady dies, leaving him to stumble through the belongings left in her apartment after the city officials have swept the place clean of goods. he ends up finding a box belonging to her late husband and becomes enthralled with the man whose saved mementos paint him as a barbituate-addicted, abnormal sex-obsessed cartoonist with a thing for Christianity.
i don't think i have to say much more than that. it's brief, humorous, and you can view it here: 'Russell and Mary'.
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