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The Night Is a Mouth

by Lisa Foad

In The Night Is a Mouth, Lisa Foad’s first collection of short stories, the protagonists are almost exclusively women: vulnerable and downtrodden women, women who had it rough as girls, women who could use a break, women who are about to break. The stories in this collection are prose poems and odes written for and to such women, and though they are penned with love and empathy, they are tough tales that are sometimes difficult to digest, as much because of the density of the repetitive language as for the dismal content.

“Lost Dogs” follows a teenage runaway as she searches for her parents. Everyone the protagonist encounters takes on the role of a mother or father. There isn’t much in the way of character development, but the vibrant language and quick pace keep the story engaging. In “The Words,” a nervous adolescent finds herself terrorized by a glass eye. Functioning as a metaphor for her own self-doubt, the eye follows her wherever she goes. The most successful of the stories is “Here There Be Monsters,” a tale about a weird family that calls to mind Alfred Jarry’s absurdist classic Ubu Roi.

The Night Is a Mouth is an exploration of obsession, dysfunction, sex, and love. While these themes are nothing new, Foad’s style and structures are not traditional; she is something of a sound poet. The circular, repetitive language draws readers into her stories, but a lack of clear direction or plot may leave some people dissatisfied. As for the voice, Foad’s is raw, gritty, and virtually humourless. But then, there is little in these lives to make light of.

 

Reviewer: Sarah Steinberg

Publisher: Exile Editions

DETAILS

Price: $21.95

Page Count: 154 pp

Format: Paper

ISBN: 978-1-55096-114-0

Released: Jan.

Issue Date: 2009-5

Categories: Fiction: Short