United in romantic woe

Writers like Francesca Lia Block share their heartfelt miseries in What Was I Thinking? 58 Bad Boyfriend Stories

By Jennifer Stevenson
Published: February 11th, 2009 | 12:15pm

So, fair warning: if you are not in a love-of-your-life commitment with collateral balls and chains like kids or mortgage, don’t read What Was I Thinking?: 58 Bad Boyfriend Stories, or maybe that’s exactly when you should read it.

After gobbling 18 of these tasty little bites in a row, I was looking for Oreos in a pantry full of cat food. After #30, I was wondering if I’d really married that driven, focused world-beater I imagined. By #50 I’d calmed down, because at least I had picked a good guy.

A few of my favorites: Monica Johnson’s “Swedish Meatball”, for the depressed boyfriend and the Elvis wedding chapel, Rachel Parenta’s “Fantasy Ain’t Reality,” for the horrific bar-bathroom sex, and Courtenay Hameister’s “Speaking My Language,” for mental TiVo and additional wit.

Go ahead, read them all at once. It’s like eating Oreos.

You’ll find yourself wanting to write your own. Did he shave his armpits with your razor on the morning after? Go through your purse for coffee money? Call his wife? His mom? Did he write a song blowing you off, and record it, with your name in it?

Suddenly these details will seem hilarious to you, and you will feel sisterhood with these hardy adventuresses who share the mingled tears and laughter of their bad boyfriend backlogs. Highly recommended.

Jennifer Stevenson is the author of The Brass Bed and Trash Sex Magic.