The New Yorker: "P.E." by Victor Lodato

April 2,2012: "P.E."by Victor Lodato
Thestory is amusing at times. But there's definitely more to it than that.We learn from the Q&Awith Victor Lodato that the author began with the voice of the narrator,Freddy, which is credible, as that's the most noticeable element of the story.Freddy is the child of junkies and has been out of contact with his father formany years. Now, though, the father is arriving in Tucson for a visit, whichnaturally leads to great tension, and also some funny dialogue.
As ithappens, Freddy is a proponent of Parallel Energetics, a belief that we areliving several simultaneous existences. We don't get too much of the PEdynamics in the early part of the story, but as the conversation with hisfather becomes more difficult, the PE comes out and Freddy even considerscalling Salvatore, his PE mentor.
But wait!Something's not quite right here. (Read the Q&A to hear about the author'snotion of the "reversal" that happens toward the end of the story.)
Not only isthe story filled with wonderful conflict—estranged father comes to town—but Freddyhimself is full of contradictions: he was once skinny, but now he's fat, forexample. And his choice to flee reality by escaping into what he believes arethese parallel existences suggests that Freddy's got some problems, and theydon't all have to do with his father.
Aninteresting story from a writer I'd not previously heard of.