The Story of Digby and Marie

Written entirely in alternating lines of versified dialogue, this small and exceedingly precious book attempts to chart a relationship in the making. Shure, the author of Twink and a regular on National Public Radio, portrays his protagonists through a series of arch interchanges that reveal two people who, though their past forays into romance have failed, are willing to try again. While Digby was once ""committed to a home for incurable romantics,"" Marie sends out messages by sunbathing with stencils on her body. Their sappy repartee alternates between the melancholic and the farcical as their individual voices blend into an increasingly listless duet: ""In sensitive people such as myself, heartfelt feelings tend to soften/ bodily tissue, allowing for/ fatty buildup."" Selenic's line drawings capture the book's fragmentary and lightweight effect. (May)