Erik Hofstatter’s ‘Soaking in Strange Hours’ is essentially a long prose poem, but this should be the thing that nudges you towards reading it. The talent displayed through lyrical language is exceptional.
“I watched her mouth — a cocaine-white theatre of teeth.”
“I smelled her faux fur coat scented with opium and porn-star dreams.”
“I sauntered on a carpet pregnant with red wine stains and bad memories.”
Hofstatter places you in a world that resembles a modern-day fable. It is painfully clear that he is an excellent writer. His ability to intertwine poetry and prose is so brilliant that it almost makes me slightly envious. ‘Soaking in Strange Hours’ is a beautifully unique story that I would happily see made into a short film.
The dialogue in this piece feels very personal, making the reader feel as though they are intruding. Just as I would gladly see this story adapted into a film, I would also love to see it adapted as a play. When I first started reading the story, I couldn’t help but think back to authors such as Vladimir Nabokov, who created a novel out of poetry. This skill is nothing to be sniffed at, and as a poet myself, I am well aware of that.
Finally, I hadn’t read any of Erik’s work before this, but I will certainly keep an eye out for it now. I admire him for how he brings such an unusual spin on transgressive fiction, incorporating other genres in the process.
Author’s Website: www.erikhofstatter.net
Courtenay's Corner 