September 4, 2007

Shine on You Crazy Diamond

“The Family Diamond,” by Edward Schwarzschild

Ladies and gentlemen, tonight’s guest of honor has had starring roles in all your relationships and has an unprecedented knack for drama.

Without further ado, an ambivalent round of applause for: dysfunction. [Clap, clap, boo, clap.]

Known for taking on controversial roles headfirst, it’s at its best in Edward Schwarzschild’s second book, The Family Diamond, a funny/sad collection of nine short stories set in Philly.

The first and last stories give readers Milly and Charlie Diamond, an endearing old couple living in a nursing home (Milly, inspired by Schwarzschild’s grandmother, will make you want to call your nana). Their love, which endures even as their bodies fall apart, proves a pair of perfect bookends to the other tales, all detailing relationships under strife (don’t miss Distance Man about a man’s encounter with the son of his abusive older brother).

You’ll surely find a rendition of yourself in Schwarzschild’s melancholic prose, suggesting that the only thing truly dysfunctional is normalcy.

That deserves a standing ovation.

Available online at amazon.com or your local bookstore.