Certifiable: Fictions

In these funny and twisted stories of American culture, David McGimpsey answers questions that have long demanded answer: What does a teacher of “Elvisology” teach? What kind of animal is McDonald’s Grimace? Did Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman ever kiss each other? If Fonzie’s leather jacket wrote letters — who would Fonzie’s jacket write to? Are there other kinds of nog besides egg nog? Is it better to write for The New Yorker or to have “developed scripts” for LA Law? Is there a worse band name than “The Agoraphobic Wilburys”? And, of course, what parts of the male anatomy best rhyme with “Jesus”? rnrn”You’re certifiable!” may be a charge a speaker in David McGimpsey’s first collection of fiction has often heard but, luckily, the speaker usually mishears and thinks he’s heard “you sure are loveable!” They are loveable. In a landscape of mini-malls, theme restaurants and weight-loss centers, the sadness of life’s adult rewards leads to comic relief in these short, topical, American asides. This is perfect reading for college drop-outs as well as their less romantic cousins who stuck it out until they received a degree. The work bears all the hallmarks of McGimpsey’s critically acclaimed poetry (sharp wit, pop savvy) — except, now, without the annoyance of poetry!