“I’ve Always Loved Gallows Humor”: Dan Sheehan on Writing “Restless Souls”

“They told me he died around sunset, as if the word, the soft orange time of day it conjures, should have meant something even if it were true.” This is a line I wrote down and thought about for days after finishing Restless Souls, an alternatively witty and wounding novel about mental health, male friendship, and memory. It’s spoken by Karl, our protagonist, as he thinks of his foster brother Gabriel, who was lost to suicide years ago. Why does […]

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“I Love Stories of Single-Minded Obsession”: An Interview With Gabe Habash

Early on in Gabe Habash’s debut novel, the titular protagonist pins his opponent in a wrestling match. “I place my ear on Brett’s back and hear his heart. ‘Oh Brett, I told you I was going to eat you,’ I whisper to him. Something like sympathy, I could fall asleep if we stayed here long enough.” It’s described dreamily, as if it’s our hero sinking into a warm-hued pillow rather than snapping another guy’s arm behind his back under fluorescent […]

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