I found these stories depressing, and not in a good way. Is there a good way? Ok, not in a cathartic or meaningful way that might leave me enriched. I do think the writing was effective and sometimes interesting, deeply developing the character's internal lives. Several stories
did stand out, I might like them in isolation. As a collection though, they just didn't go anywhere. I don't mean a narrative resolution, they just invoked a feeling and then left it. I needed a bit more of something.
I could also do without the theme. It's not easy to write stories that stand alone and also fit this overarching image, and while I can see where that should tie in at the end and create meaning, it just doesn't work.
I don't know. Maybe I'm just not in the place for sad mundanity. Maybe in a week or a month I'll remember these stories and love them. Maybe we just have wildly different experiences of the circus, and of life. ( )

The short story collection, THE AERIALISTS, by Mark Mayer, uses circus acts and personalities as inspiration to tell intimate tales of people struggling to figure out what they want. There are funny moments, disturbing moments, and moments that touch your heart.
Mark Mayer's short story style is unique and yet comforting at the same time. He writes very real people and tells their stories in a straight forward way so as the reader quickly understands the characters and each of the characters choices make logical sense. Each story ramps up to a climax and a reveal of sorts, and because the reader has settled into each character and story, the reveal isn't shocking, more just a satisfying end to a fascinating and complex tale of an interesting person/people. While all of the stories are memorable, my favorites were "Strongwoman" and "The Ringmaster".
Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing, Mark Mayer, and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! ( )

Petrosino’s collection of poems is cunning in its use of rhyme and form, in a way which feels brisk, unforced, and pithy in the way structure should be. The author has a fantastic handle on language. The poems in this book are fresh and bright.
Some lines I enjoyed:
“Now / they come in the dark to hang their muzzles / over our fence lines. We seem to feel their breath / on our backs at night.”
“Do they know / about the botch / in my belly? I think / it’s a gel / where the white light / rots”
I particularly loved the use of form in “Maria” and the refrain of “I was twelve. I was twelve. I was twelve.” Haunting in triplicate.
There is an interesting exploration of the feminine with poems like “thigh gap” and “first girdle.” Which twist the familiar into the uncanny. There is also much discussion of the female body as othered and creatured. While this is not a new topic, I never tire of reading new takes on it. And the humor in approaching this topic is interesting too, as in “Let me tell you people something”
A book you’ll want to own in print so you can feel the weight of the words in your hands. ( )