Suburban Mysteries

One pretty recent book that had a big impact on me was Shaun Tan's Tales From Outer Suburbia. Such an impact in fact that I believe it changed my approach to storytelling dramatically, or sharpened the focus. I think it resonated because I recognized something from my childhood which I tried to escape and missed once I did and now I'm back there again, in suburbia with a little boy and all the magic that entails. You can'r spend an entire childhood in the suburbs looking for magic without it profoundly influencing your grown up life. Before Outer suburbia I wrote in my notes "look for magic in the backyard" but since I've managed to broaden that search a bit. See things with a fresh perspective.

"In late August a witch moved into our neighborhood" is the first line in a story I'm writing right now. A glimpse into the strangeness that is suburbia.