by Jason Mott
First published 2009
Jason Mott examines the intricate ways people connect with one another in this collection of stories. The characters navigate relationships that blur the lines between friendship, romance, and family bonds. They struggle to define what they feel for each other when traditional labels fall short. A woman questions whether her feelings for her best friend constitute love or something else entirely. A man grapples with his attachment to someone who may never return his affection. Throughout these interconnected narratives, Mott's characters confront the messy reality that human emotions rarely fit into neat categories. They discover that the space between people can be both the source of their greatest pain and their deepest fulfillment. The stories reveal how we often settle for approximations of love while searching for something more authentic and true.
Genres: short-stories, romance, literary-fiction, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, friends-to-lovers
Period: 21st-century
Paperback · Main Street Rag