I’m not going to pretend to be an aficionado of essays, but I know a well-curated collection when I see one, fiction or otherwise. This new essay collection by short story writer and essayist Charles D’Ambrosio is dark, disarming, occasionally funny and honestly not what I expected from a collection of essays. My favorite piece was the one about whaling. Or was it about Native Americans? Or misguided activists? Or baby fever? Or loneliness? It doesn’t matter; D’Ambrosio manages to keep the reader delightfully off-kilter while crafting a cohesive spirit in each essay.
D’Ambrosio the journalist/writer is telling these stories, but the journalistic lense is only peripheral–at its heart this book is personal. If you’re looking for something that will rewire your brain, if only for a short while, try Loitering.
categories: Adult Fiction Essays
