I Don’t Have a Happy Place: Cheerful Stories of Despondency and Gloom

Korson is a Vermont-based writer, wife, and mother—but most notably a grouch, who crafts her moments of anxiety, disdain, and misanthropy with a healthy dose of humor. Originally from Montreal, Korson was an atypical kid who hated summer camp and riding bikes, but at nine she knew all the words to Sondheim’s “The Ladies Who Lunch,” which she broke out with an Elaine Stritch–level of cynicism at Passover and other family gatherings. Her father, who worked in the garment industry, was no stranger to bronzer, purses, and Capricorn necklaces. Her mother, who leaves a very memorable impression on the reader, adopted a version of Phil Donahue–inspired feminism and never left the house without full makeup and helmet hair that would have wowed the ladies of Dynasty. Korson’s inner curmudgeon is challenged by her easygoing, nonplussed boyfriend turned husband—the kind of guy who proposes to Korson while the two are on vacation in Mexico and getting cursed out, then books them an upgrade for another trip. Hilariously and unexpectedly, it’s a trip to Disney World with her husband that really has her number, as she excitedly spots her childhood favorites, Chip and Dale, and later bursts into tears on the Small World ride. Korson’s preoccupations—checking crime blotters for neighborhood stats, being certain that her first child would come out crazy, avoiding chitchat at parties—may keep her firmly in her cranky cave but will strike a funny bone in readers. (Apr.)