Brian Alan Ellis

Brian Alan Ellis:

If I Would Leave Myself Behind , by Lauren Becker. Curbside Splendor Publishing. 120 pages. $14.95.

When writing fiction that is empathetic to common, emotionally trodden persons, comparisons to Raymond Carver and Amy Hempel can sometimes be an unfortunate inevitability. However Becker’s pithy, cut-glass prose stylin’ and profilin’ is really all her own, and If I Would Leave Myself Behind is an artful reawakening of the short-story form. Becker owns it. She is a champion for unique characters who hold no title.llis