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THREE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY |
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Review of Fiorentino's Asthmatica (2005) The cover art is immediately endearing for those of us who have enjoyed the early albums from metal stalwarts Metallica, and the term itself is clarified in opener “I Wanna Be Your Alpha Male” and “Asthmatica” – the former detailing the author’s lawn mowing adventures despite his allergy to grass (not that kind of grass, mind you). Before that, though, Fiorentino wields self-deprecating humor in the “Foreword,” which contains witty lines like “Hello, Dear Reader, and welcome to Asthmatica. I’m so glad you took the time to shoplift this book. But enough about you, this book is all about me, sort of.” Still, Fiorentino also clarifies some things for readers who are curious about the truth value of the stories: “Every protagonist in Asthmatica is named Jonny. However, not all of the content of the book is true. For instance, while I may be an overweight, anxious, asthmatic, diabetic sissy, I would NEVER drink Coors Light.”
As with any collection, however, there are a few inclusions I could do without. “Textual Commentary on Electrolux by the Author,” “Previously Enjoyed Crosswords,” “Milkman (Deleted Scene),” and “The Longlist” could’ve been deleted altogether, or, failing that, relegated to the end where proper bonus material should appear. If they had been cut, this 150-page book would’ve been even shorter, though, so there is that to consider. In any event, Asthmatica is certainly worth the time it takes to read it, and Fiorentino comes across as an extremely likeable individual who is able to construct riveting stories no matter their outcome – fortunate, or much more frequently, unfortunate. Look for it cheap on Amazon. I can’t vouch for his poetry, since I haven’t read any of it, but it’s probably worth checking out as well. Jason Jordan is many things. He is assistant editor and staff reviewer for this magazine. He was the host of the Bean Street Reading Series. He was an editor of The IUS Review. He has been a featured writer at the Tuesday Night Reading Series in Evansville, Indiana. His writing appears in The Edward Society and The2ndHand. He teaches college writing to college students. His book is called Powering the Devil's Circus and his website is located here. He is a writer. |
Similar
to Sedaris, much of the writing of Fiorentino (pictured right) involves
his family members and the situations he gets himself into as a result of
his, well, stupidity. From making love to a vacuum cleaner in
“Electrolux” to fighting about hockey-related insults in “Sissy Fists” to
finding a box of worn straps his father, a principal, used to beat
students with in “Strapping Young Lads,” the material is entertaining and
consequently engaging. Still, it’s the family portrait – which
Asthmatica deftly paints – that makes the book so enjoyable. By the
end, I felt I knew these characters and cared about them, too.