“The Fuck-Up” by Arthur Nersesian

A fool goes on a strange journey, falling in and out of love several times and spinning shady deals made in a gay porn theater to his advantage. It’s a lot to take in, and that the narrative doesn’t collapse under the weight of its personalities and odd turns is a credit to Nersesian’s enduring wit and sense of pacing. He just can’t stick the landing, though, and while I get that he was going for dramatic irony at the end, it doesn’t register hard enough to work nor does it feel like a proper ending. A fun period piece.

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