November 9th, 2009 / 5:49 pm
 Author Spotlight

Matt Bell, EXPLAIN YOURSELF!

I mean, EXPLAIN YOUR HUSBAND!For sheer wtf, you gotta read Matt Bell’s story “Cain, Caleb, Cameron,” recently in Wigleaf. It’s like one man’s personal Beowulf. (I’m not sure that holds up, but it’s funny, and if an enterprising composition student wants to put it in a paper, alongside a list of all the kennings in the piece, he can site this post as substantive material.)

Here, I’ve excerpted a good grossness, for the click-weary:

. . . First there was the push, push, then the blood, then my mistake-toothed firstborn howling in the nurse’s arms: chubby, too chubby, too covered in mother’s gore.

And then my wife continuing to push. And then the doctor’s begging her to stop. . . .

Anyway, uh, I met Matt Bell’s wife briefly in Ann Arbor. So for this installment, I’m asking her to EXPLAIN YOUR HUSBAND! [applause]

14 Comments

  1. November 9th, 2009 / 9:59 pm davidpeak—

      Great little story. Like she gave birth to the Dunwich Horror or the baby from It’s Alive.

  2. November 9th, 2009 / 5:59 pm davidpeak—

      Great little story. Like she gave birth to the Dunwich Horror or the baby from It’s Alive.

  3. November 9th, 2009 / 10:02 pm Nathan Tyree—

      It’s alive is okay, but the second sequel (something like It’s Alive 3: Island of the Alive) really rules

  4. November 9th, 2009 / 6:02 pm Nathan Tyree—

      It’s alive is okay, but the second sequel (something like It’s Alive 3: Island of the Alive) really rules

  5. November 9th, 2009 / 11:07 pm Clapper—

      This piece is awesome. What’s to explain?

  6. November 9th, 2009 / 7:07 pm Clapper—

      This piece is awesome. What’s to explain?

  7. November 9th, 2009 / 11:17 pm Ani Smith—

      ‘For sheer wtf’ is the best review ever.

  8. November 9th, 2009 / 7:17 pm Ani Smith—

      ‘For sheer wtf’ is the best review ever.

  9. November 9th, 2009 / 11:24 pm daniel bailey—

      the end of this post made say ‘lol’ out loud.

  10. November 9th, 2009 / 7:24 pm daniel bailey—

      the end of this post made say ‘lol’ out loud.

  11. November 9th, 2009 / 11:28 pm Nathan (Nate) Tyree—

      Please don’t do that

  12. November 9th, 2009 / 7:28 pm Nathan (Nate) Tyree—

      Please don’t do that

  13. November 10th, 2009 / 12:28 am daniel bailey—

      yeah, i was a little shocked when it happened.

  14. November 9th, 2009 / 8:28 pm daniel bailey—

      yeah, i was a little shocked when it happened.