Andersen Prunty is an asshole. Despite this fact, Eraserhead Press published The Overwhelming Urge, which includes some of the Dayton-based author's finest and funniest short stories, sure to satiate even the sickest mind. Through a creative and subtle delivery, Prunty paints a portrait of human frailty and vanity in his work. Yet working within the realm of the bizarre, he gives the reader a dose of tragic reality, making a parody of how fragile the human ego really is.

“Cowboy” tells a brief story of a weak, yet vain man who struggles with self-identity, and his search for approval from others. “Fad” incorporates a strange proposal between two young adolescents, testing their need to fit in. “Discovering the Shape of My Skull” offers a rather dismal look at a frail male ego, as our protagonist (held nameless in this story) finds he has mixed feelings over his new haircut. In fact, he seems unable to settle on just one.

“Cowboy” and “Fad” display Prunty’s ability to deliver a concise and powerful message within half a page of text. Characters are put on display for the reader, and serve as a reminder that they are simply a characterization of the shallow behavior we humans tend to value. “Discovering the Shape of My Skull” is probably the longest story in the book, and follows the changing disposition of a weak man with an objectionable haircut. Throughout the story, the protagonist is influenced by how others view his hair, and changes his feelings accordingly, based on the subsequent reaction of each character he interacts with. This story shows how weak humans allow others to dictate who they are, as well as how they present themselves.

Each story echoes the overall theme of the collection. Prunty makes subtlety an art form, as he forces the reader to extract meaning from a small amount of text. The reader must contemplate what s/he has read, and analyze the entire composition for meaning; Prunty doesn’t slap you in the face and tell you what’s important (although he may if you ask him nicely).

Although he gives us many reasons to laugh at ourselves, it’s also sad and scary to think about what we humans consider important. Andersen Prunty is wonderful person.

—Richard Nicol