Book Covers

Steve Almond is maybe the best “sex writer” around today. His short stories are typically about the sex lives of normal people. They aren’t blase or lurid at all and are occasionally even pretty hot in the way that real relationships can be.

I wanted to post this book back when the hardcover came out simply because I found the colors and composition appealing, but there wasn’t enough going on thematically to warrant it. But this new paperback cover—also by Michael Fusco—is perfect. The black bars, a staple of retro smut, pornify otherwise normal people. These are your co-workers, the people in line at the grocery store, the folks on the bus. They fuck. Probably.

— Eric Jacobsen, 2006-05-16 00:04:00

In light of your description, I don’t understand what’s going on with the hardcover. Karate? Abe Lincoln? What gives?

I read the book a year ago and can’t recall all of the stories off the top of my head (except for the last one which, out of respect for Ben’s mother, I won’t even hint at), but there’s one about Abe Lincoln, so I suppose the rest are also “story icons.”

The outline of the text is not applealing at all. I kind of like the color palette