POPS AND CLICKS is Matthew Allard’s second story collection. In “When We Are Giraffes,” a lovable graphic artist, battling mental illness, finds comfort and tests the fragile limits of his marriage after purchasing a giraffe outfit from the Home Shopping Channel. In “Love Machine,” a nameless protagonist constructs an elaborate device in hopes of making his crush feel the same way. And in “Everyone Here is Happy,” a teenager explores the ripe edge of adulthood while struggling to connect with her astronaut father who lives—quite literally—in another world. Thoughtful, funny, and surreal, these 9 stories examine modern relationships, from parents and siblings to strangers and lovers, revealing the complex and mysterious ways our lives intersect.
Allard's second collection definitely evidences more mature writing, and the stories are even more entertaining as a consequence. "When We Are Giraffes" alone is worth the price of admission. The stories show more whimsy than To Slow Down The Time: Stories but no less pathos. I devoured it in a single sitting.