I fell in love with the poetry of James Tate a few years ago, and when I heard of this volume of his short stories, I quickly ordered it. Tate’s poetry is mostly written in a prose style, one that is most always unpredictable, wryly funny, often with a sudden aha twist at the end. I find his humor supremely amusing, endearing, and wise, but I’m know for my bad puns—so consider the source.
His short stories were a lot like his poetry—strange and surprising. He had a spry mind that I will always treasure. I’ve read many reviews of his work, and it is not unusual to come across my favorite word, bizarre. Tate brought so much of life into his work, with politics sharing space with romance, absurdity cuddled up with the blackest of humor, with cold alienation suddenly entering the world of marriage, infidelity, and the many flavors of love. I love reading his work, never knowing where his words will take me, not seeing around the next corner, and not even seeing the next corner coming.
In the end, I’m sure to reread some of these stories, but thinking of James Tate will always lead my mind first to his poetry. ( )

Most of these very short stories ended so abruptly it grated on my nerves. ( )

http://12frogs.com/reading/reviews/2009/04/dreams-of-a-robot-dancing-bee/ ( )