If Only the Names Were Changed

by Andrew Miller

"Andrew Miller’s If Only The Names Were Changed is an ode to the American fuck-ups and the art of fucking up."
-Beachsloth, Beachsloth.com

"Miller is at his best when mixing unabashed candor with analytical self-scrutiny." - Kirkus Reviews

“Unflinchingly honest, Andrew Miller’s stories are akin to Francis Bacon portraiture. Mixed in with all of life’s brutality and banality are moments of astounding beauty that echo the angelic opening to Damien Rice’s song It Takes A Lot To Know A Man.”
–Scott Navicky, author of Humboldt: Or, the Power of Positive Thinking

“Politics, religion, sexuality, society and psychology: Miller is unapologetic and brutally honest, galloping through it all at such a speed as will leave you breathless. There are moments when he is almost unforgivingly intellectual, moments of thunderous untempered rage and moments of poetic sublime.”
–Emily Ruck Keene, editor of Paris Lit Up

186 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2016

About the author

Andrew Miller is a freelance journalist and writer from Columbus, OH who has recently had creative work published in CCM's 2015 Compendium, Ohio Edit, Two Dollar Radio's "Frequencies Vol. 3", The Seldom Review, CCC's "Across Town", and Q&Q.

He's also written reviews and interviews for Electric Literature and Fruita Pulp, as well as journalistic pieces for The Columbus Dispatch family of newspapers, trade magazines, and IGI academic publishing.

His first full-length book of essays, If Only the Names Were Changed, is now available through Civil Coping Mechanisms (2016). His first collection of poetry "You Must Know This" Digitalocracy Analogs (2016) is also now available via Amazon and directly through the author at:
http://andrew-miller.com/blog/purchas...

Reviews

[Charles Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into this book with a completely open mind, not knowing what to expect. With the opening story taking place at the funeral of the author’s father, he grabbed my undivided attention from the onset. This book, or collection of personal essays, serves as a memoir of sorts for Andrew, and offers an honest and raw introspection into his being. It is truly an uncensored exploration deep into the mind and soul of the writer. Andrew gives the reader an uninhibited view into himself that pulls no punches – good, bad, or otherwise.

“It’s time to get f***ing weird.” This sentence appears more than once throughout this collection, and nicely sums up the blunt, graphic, and terrifying story-telling that Andrew offers up. His words are jarring, but unabashedly and refreshingly honest. I may not personally always agree with how he delivers some of his thoughts, but the sentiment of what he says is right on target. While his story-telling may be vulgar at times, I could not possibly agree more with and sympathize with his begging and pleading for the removal of social stigma from mental health disorders. Andrew also plainly lists and describes his aversion for authority and societal norms, all of which he begrudgingly executes to appear like a “good person.”

“Words make things real.” Given this recurring theme throughout the book, this collection is some of the most real story-telling a reader could ever expect. Based solely on his perceived oppressive upbringing (Andrew admits more than once that his perception may not always match reality, and he openly questions what is real and what is truth), this book undoubtedly serves as a therapeutic exercise to express long-held repressed emotions.

After reading this collection of essays from front to back, I’m still not convinced that Andrew is an asshole as he claims, but rather is someone who is simply trying his best to deal with complex, deep-seeded emotional issues. And for putting it all out there for display to the world, I applaud him.

[Charlie Eskew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book kind of came at the perfect time for me, but without getting to narcissistic writer guy I just want to start with thank you. Andrew's ability to not only call out his own issues but discuss the greater trouble in accessing what it is to be better, to try more, to want not necessarily to be seen as better, but just be better, is powerful and filled with his own literary escapes that he picked up like breadcrumbs along the way. I loved this book, though granted starting it may be a little cumbersome, not due to the writing but because of the nature of the book without the context of what Andrew gives as you go along it's hard to believe the narrative voice's pain at first. You should always listen to pain though. You should always listen. You should always.