Leaving The Atocha Station

LEAVING THE ATOCHA STATION

by Ben Lerner

 

Nominations: James Tate Black Finalist 2012, LA Times Finalist 2011

 

Date Read: September 26, 2023

 

On a fellowship in Madrid, Adam is a self-doubting, talented but obtuse writer trying to figure out where he goes from here. That’s basically it. He doesn’t know where he stands with women, with his career, with his future or his friends. This is the inflection point we find Adam in. And as talented as Lerner may be, I didn’t relate to nor like Adam.

 

I didn’t really care for 10:04 and, honestly, I didn’t really care for this either. I found it repetitive, overly self-conscious and self-indulgent. Talent, spliff, why can't I get laid, spliff, self-doubt, spliff, poetry, spliff, repeat. I hate to say it but that sums this up for me in a nutshell. I am sure there are those who really appreciate and resonate with his work, I’m just not one of them. 

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