The End Has No End

A review if The End magazine launch party

This year has been an exciting time for the New York literary scene. More magazines, more events, and so much good literature to read and enjoy. That’s why when I heard about The End magazine issue 1 launch party from

Katherine Dee

I knew I had to check it out.

The organizers were quite clear that the dress code, cocktail attire, was serious. Not to be boring, I selected a navy suit and paired it with a purple gingham shirt and gold tie then headed into the wilds of downtown Manhattan onboard the F train. My journey started with the young man seated next to me taking unknown pills from a clear glass container. The rest of the ride was uneventful and I arrived at the door of Sovereign House just a few minutes past seven. We were told the supply of print copies was limited and I made sure to arrive early enough to get one. I spent the next few minutes exploring the venue and it’s formidable library. Feeling lightheaded from a blood donation earlier in the day I took a seat next to a book case containing a boxed set of the Incerto. The presence of which I interpreted as a good omen.

Protip: Sitting next to the bookshelf provides an armrest and a place to put your drink

As the venue filled up I read the story Separation by James Tadd Adcox. A story about an abusive couple who can’t quite figure out which one is the abuser and which the abusee. Soon I made friends with another attendee who spoke frantically at times and had the same first name as me. Over complimentary glasses of wine we spoke with the couple sitting next to me.

The reading itself started a few minutes past eight and kicked off with Jordan Castro reading Skeeter, a story about a creep of a college professor and how he gets off in class. The story included a nice modern touch of describing the class’ group chat reactions. The line up went on with: A Warm Body by Sydney Hirsch; Winners, Losers by Ani Tatintsyan; Eager to Help by Calvin Atwood; David by Claire Donato; and Burning of the Bench by Daniel Matthew.

All of these stories were thoroughly enjoyable but the standouts for me were Winners, Losers and Burning of the Bench. Winners, Losers for its tight focus and repeated refrain “if you’re a loser for too long, you die.” I’m a sucker for a refrain in a story.

Burning of the Bench is a beautifully layered story setup as the author’s reply to a piece written about his family’s bench burning ritual by an ex-girlfriend. Of the stories I heard this is the one I most look forward to reading again to unravel the deeper meaning.

With the reading over and my new friend gone since intermission I made my own exit. Back to the F train. Which was more crowded now than it was coming downtown and slower, making local stops. At home I poured myself one last glass of wine and contemplated the cover painting, hole by Kuo Jun You.