I judged this book by its cover. When I came across it in Moe's Books, I was unfamiliar with the author. I bought it based on endorsements from David Foster Wallace and the New York Times Book Review.
Thirst is a collection of short stories, some of which are experimental in the vein of Italo Calvino (especially "Invisible Malls," which even uses the verb calvinoed) and some of which are traditional (such as "No Grace on the Road," narrated by a character caught between his Western education and his Asian heritage). My favorites spanned both types: "The Joy and Melancholy Baseball Trivia Quiz" is told in a question-and-answer format and captures how extreme experiences transcend the rules of the game; "Among the Bulgarians" captures a young man's ambivalence about his summer abroad.
I didn't know Ken Kalfus when I bought this book, but now I will seek out his other books.
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