“Baseball” is the opening story of Kathy Joyce’s debut collection, 3, out now from Ristretto Books, the book arm of Epiphany literary journal. Originally published in Evergreen Review, “Baseball” recounts the narrator’s journey into Yankee fandom and bananas with a deliciously goth schtick:
The thing with the bananas started after the last World Series. Since the Yankees lost and I hated bananas, I decided to purchase one and eat it as a form of self-harm. Because I hated myself and my life. However, I actually kind of enjoyed the banana and I started to eat bananas regularly. This ended up being very positive for me because it turned out I had a severe potassium deficiency which doctors were very worried about. So every time the Yankees would play a game I would eat two bananas. I would eat the bananas and the Yankees would play and the Yankees would win. It was clear that the bananas were causing them to win….
Joyce’s voice is unapologetically her own—deadpan, comedic, angsty with just enough feinting innocence to pull the reader into an emotionally honest perspective with little if any restraint. You never know where you might end up in Joyce’s story and that is the fun of it.
It was a treat to hear Joyce read from “Baseball” last night at Night Club 101 in the East Village, 3‘s debut launch party hosted by Ristretto Books and Miracle Jones, editor in chief extraordinaire.
About Kathy Joyce
She is an interesting woman from New York. Read more at ristrettobooks.org.
About Ristretto Books
Ristretto is concentrated espresso. Our aim at Ristretto Books is to publish literary works that readers will want to read more than once—first for the initial kick, and then after that to savor the artistry. Read more at ristrettobooks.org.
