Human Resources: Stories (Tin House New Voice)

The characters of these irreverent stories work at widely varying occupations, both prosaic and absurd. Hilarious and lonely, they are often aimless but surrounded by passionate devotees of everything from decluttering to good old-fashioned piracy.

Humorous, energetic, and inventive, the stories in Josh Goldfaden’s debut collection are laugh-out-loud funny. Goldfaden’s genius is in pushing the limits of absurdity without sacrificing the emotional core of his characters or their stories. A nanny works for a traveling writers colony (his charge is named Camus). A pirate saves up for his own restaurant. A litter specialist tackles the overstuffed homes―and psyches―of the rich. As zany as they come, Goldfaden’s characters seek purpose and community and, every now and again, they find it.