Cool, Calm, and Contentious

 

By Merrill Markoe

A collection of twenty-one semi-autobiographical and mildly humorous short stories ranging through a wide variety of the author's life experiences.

Stories about dealing with a mother who was demanding and hyper-critical of her daughter, Merrill. Ones about the dogs Merrill has had in her life. Stories about her school days, stretching into her years in college. Stories about the men in her life, including the most famous one, David Letterman, who is very thinly disguised as Bobby. Stories about her early sexual experiences, including rape. A rafting trip, attending a Fetish Ball, drinking sixteen ounces of vodka like it was a refreshing glass of water. Advice on life, for instance, drawing on years of experience with her mother, how to spot and avoid narcissists and assholes. 

For the most part, I enjoyed all the stories. Some were real slices of life and some were actually quite funny. Really, the only one I kept nodding off to was "Celebrity Criminals and Criminal Celebrities: Celebrity 2.0." Probably because I am not much interested in celebrities.

I characterized the stories as semi-autobiographical because she includes stories where she and her dogs have involved conversations. I'm guessing that is just fantasy or she is bonkers. I personally think if dogs could talk, they would only talk about walks, food, critters, food, intruders, food, naps, food, going outside, food, coming back in, food and bedtime.

For another review, see Publishers Weekly.