Negative Reaction
By
Julie Baker
Reviewed by Vivian “Vivalicious”
Darkbloom
Is
it wrong of me to be so compelled by a midget?
One
of the things I like most about Julie Baker’s “Negative Reaction” is a midget—or
“Little Person,” if you prefer the PC term. His name is Ernie and he is
sidekick/best friend to one of the story’s protagonists. How many times do you
see a midget—a real person, cranky, funny, intelligent, and not a mere plot
device—in a piece of fanfic? I hearby nominate this story for the Vivian
Darkbloom Award for Best Portayal of a Little Person. (The actual award isn’t
some chintzy statue, people, but an autographed copy of my bestselling book, Are You There, God? It’s Me, Vivian and I
Locked the Cat in the Closet Again.)
Perhaps
Ernie’s presence in the story is to remind us that the people we perceive as
freaks are more normal—and eminently more likable—than some corporate shill or
a Junior League housewife. Or Certain Republican “Presidents” Who Shall Remain
Unnamed.
The
big freaky star of the story is New York City, honorary Capital of Freaks
(another reason why I like the story), but our focus is on one Nancy, a
photographer living in the East Village, and Bess, a small-town girl trying to
find a job and a niche of her own in the big city. (And how refreshing is it to
encounter characters with real, girly type names and not “Sinclair Worthington”
and “Foxwood Lapostierre.”) They meet
cute, in a truly
As
of this writing, this promising story is still unfinished, but if you are a
masochist like I am, don’t hesitate—go read and enjoy.