"Modern Love," by Andrew Scott is a short story published in chapbook form by Sunnyoutside Press in a limited edition format. It's both a great story, AND a fantastic looking object (as all of Sunnyside's work is), and it has original artwork from Ed Herrera as well.
The story of an unnamed narrator and his longtime (seven years) girlfriend picking up and moving from Indiana to head out to Los Angeles (he's a failed musician, then failed promoter, looking to become A&R for a record label after a short stint as a janitor or something) is full of bits and pieces that lovers of music from the 60's through the 80's into the early 90's will love to read.
Scott does an especially nice job of capturing the dialogue of the three characters that actually speak within the story - the narrator, Alice, and Lloyd, a man that helps them out after their car breaks down. The conversations between the narrator and Alice, in particular, capture what feels like a true back and forth between a couple that is near, if not on, the rocks:
She said, "Not bad music for people who weren't speaking to each other."
"It's good," I said. "But far from their best."
"Two records in one," she said. "Twenty-something songs. If you like The Beatles, it doesn't get any better."
"Thirty songs. But there's no chemistry. It's just a collection of songs. Abbey Road is their best album."
"Abbey Road's good," she said. But the White Album is fun. Do you remember fun?"
Comments