It was a combination of things big (the Virginia Tech tragedy) and small (people who are scuzzy enough to try to stuff the Best of TucsonTM voting, and dumb enough to get caught). Sometimes, well, people just unequivocally suck.
But this week's cover story--a short story by Stacey Richter from her new book, Twin Study: Stories--helped make me feel a little bit better.
At first glance, it may appear odd that a dark story like this--focusing on a cranky, Christmas-hating, pot-smoking young woman, her martini-swilling boyfriend, her socially maladjusted, masturbatory next-door neighbor, and some very unfortunate Christmas lawn angels--could redeem one's faith in humanity.
Yeah, the story's dark, but it's hilariously dark; it had me snorting in laughter a number of times. And it made me realize something: Humans may be moronic enough to, say, stand in line for two hours for an In-n-Out burger (as we witnessed earlier this week at El Con), and we may be inept enough that some of us still refer to Alberto Gonzales as a "leader," but we can't be all that bad if our kind includes someone like Stacey Richter, who can write such fantastic slice-of-life tales.
So, yeah, I am feeling better now. I hope Stacey's story helps make you feel a little more secure in your humanity, too--or at least makes you laugh a time or three. Check it out.
