I think the story is very recognizable because the premise of the story is a similar kind of thing, but all of these Jewish traditions are subbed out for mysterious, perhaps pagan or made-up traditions. But I think all the things, all the arguments, all the conversations about it are just as ludicrous in the real world. And so the story, which involves goat sacrifice and marriage cloaks and promise eggs, to me is one of the more grounded, realistic stories in the collection.

Giorgis: One of the things the stories do is really challenge the idea that love can fix a person or single-handedly diminish their sadness. Is that a trope you’ve been frustrated by in pop-culture depictions?so you see - (not that you are still here to see) - now that i have finished reviewing this, i’ve already forgotten reviewing, let alone reading the earlier, less-satisfying stories, and i’m left with an overall glow of appreciation for this book. These stories] conjure struggles for connection in grimly surreal alternative realities that recall the probing comic imaginings of George Saunders.” — Los Angeles Times

And I thought about how, actually, if you wanted to, you could say the same thing about life. That life is terrifying and overwhelming and it can happen at any moment. And when you're confronted with life you can either be cowardly or you can be brave, but either way you're going to live. Bob-Waksberg: Working on a TV show has really helped me to think visually, because I [naturally] think in terms of dialogue, or internal thoughts, first. Often, as a reader, I am less interested in scene description … I don’t have a lot of character descriptions [in the collection] because I like the idea that people can read this story and feel like, Oh, this is me. I think when you hear, “Her blue eyes sparkle,” you might go, Oh, I guess it’s not me then. What I like about it ... what I think the phrase means is this feeling of glory that, as humans who exist, there is something marvelous about us, something magical, something stupendous, something exemplary. And I don't mean that in a religious way, but perhaps religious-adjacent — that we are touched by God, that we have a spark. But also, by nature of being on this planet, we are scarred and weathered and corrupted by the world outside of us, and the flawed architecture inside of us. So I like the phrase damaged glory because I think it represents that. And I do believe that we are all worthy of somebody who will love us, in all our damaged glory. In “Missed Connection—m4w,” a man boards a subway train and notices an attractive woman. The man and the woman sit on the train for decades as the man tries to work up the courage to talk to her. But now I feel known and I feel loved. So I would like to think that future books I write will be able to maintain a little bit of everything. I’ve allowed myself to change and write in ways that reflect how I feel about things now. Some of the stories in this book I could not write now, so I’m happy to have this record of them.Floor, Retail Center, CRC Tower, All Seasons Place, No.87/2 ,129A, Wireless Road, Lumpini, Patumwan, Bangkok 10320 Wonderfully absurd and unexpectedly moving. . . . These stories are at times poignant and triumphantly silly, but always manage to ring true.” — Publishers Weekly