Aspects of the Novel — David R. Slavitt

This first-person narrative mines comedic gold in the narrator's psychological escape from a trio of critical family events: a graduation ceremony, a funeral, and a wedding. The narrator, self-aware and yet deeply depressed, spins out characters in a stream of consciousness as he reluctantly comes to grips with regrets from the past and familial anxiety in the present. Dry observations about the buffoonery of his fictional characters around him compete with examinations of his own complicity. Stylistically unique, deeply funny, and ultimately redemptive, this story discusses aspects of the novel and how it parallels reality. A fount of wisdom about life and art, it presents a moving depiction of depression from inside, keeping the reader off balance both intellectually and emotionally.