Death in Venice, California
"McCabe retells the story of misguided dotage, dazzled and weak, by placing it in sunny California, while openly acknowledging its profane nature. The symbol of the Hanging Man Tarot card captures everything you need know about this character, and McCabe's withering attack on the skin deep culture dominates. Even the sand at Venice Beach threatens life and limb, with bicyclists and skaters speeding down the path one must cross and the possibility of tainted needles beneath the sand. Frame, weak and corruptible, is open to any suggestions however unsound. He drinks excessively, takes drugs, and has ill-advised cosmetic procedures done on his faced and abdomen within days, while panting over Chase. The storytelling is consistently assured, the parallels to the sublime model serve McCabe's ends admirably-nothing gratuitous about them-and the whole hangs together, delivering its punch squarely. This is a well done piece." --Luke Sherwood, Basso Profundo"An engaging allegorical pursuit of the mirage that is beauty's transcendence." --Kirkus