The Penult
Colin Gee
Leftover Books, 2023

In these stories, many of which are set in Mexico, where the author resides, Gee shows a fine ear for shifting tones, effects of register, and variety of Englishes. The principal landscape, though, is a liminal space of a surreal and comic imagination. Gee rewrites fairy tales and poems by Emily Dickinson; “Her Philosophy” is a mash-up of King James English and a posse of Missouri cowboys. These are sophisticated performances that manage to avoid being ponderously “literary” due to their wit. Arguably, these stories might be better served in the form of several books, or chapbooks, reflecting Gee’s multifarious voices. On the other hand, The Penult has the virtue of gathering a highly original author’s work in one place, and allowing the reader to see the breadth of his vision.