Someday This Will Be Funny

Tillman's gorgeous and potent latest (after American Genius) finds the innovative author embracing diverse, imaginative forms in these often brief but always intriguing tales. "Give Us Some Dirt" is a surprisingly sympathetic portrayal of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas that, in scarcely four pages, plays skillfully on multiple meanings of "dirt" and raises provocative questions about race. Feeling more like an essay than a story, "Love Sentence" considers the role of words as vehicles of intense emotions, particularly in the digital age. With subjects ranging from birds to Marvin Gaye to an ex-lover who has earned Tillman's wrath, these missives partake in an elegant, efficient use of language to challenge concepts of love, history, memory, and language. Tillman's compact narratives shine and stand up to multiple readings. (May)