Personal Attention Roleplay

by Helen Chau Bradley

A young gymnast crushes on an older, more talented teammate while contending with her overworked mother. A newly queer twenty-something juggles two intimate relationships—with a slippery anarchist lover and an idiosyncratic meals-on-wheels recipient. A queer metal band’s summer tour unravels amid the sticky heat of the Northeastern US. A codependent listicle writer becomes obsessed with a Japanese ASMR channel.

The stories in Personal Attention Roleplay are propelled by queer loneliness, mixed-race confusion, late capitalist despondency, and the pitfalls of intimacy. Taking place in Montreal, Toronto, and elsewhere, they feature young Asian misfits struggling with the desire to see themselves reflected—in their surroundings, in others, online. Chau Bradley’s precise language and investigation of our more troubling motivations stand out in this wryly funny debut, through stories that hint at the uncanny while remaining grounded in the everyday.

Genres: Short Stories, Queer, Fiction, LGBT, Lesbian, Gay, Anthologies

216 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 23, 2021

Reviews

[CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderfully inventive authentic collection of queer Asian Canadian short stories, including:

a queer metal band's tour with a new manager (AMAZING ending in this one!)

a woman replacing her codependent relationship with her roommate with an ASMR channel

two people who meet waiting in line in Covid times (the first story I've read featuring Covid!)

an unemployed Montrealer juggling a relationship with a fickle lover and a friendship with a meals on wheels client

two cousins who do a pilgrimage in Spain (one enthusiastically, the other reluctantly)

a tween gymnast who has a crush on her older more talented teammate

a kid who plays Greek heroes with her best friend but sabotages their relationship when she feels she doesn't measure up

and more!

These stories have great precise details that bring the characters alive. They all felt so emotionally true. There's also some lovely writing and skilled storytelling (the Covid story is told solely in unattributed dialogue!).

"The top of her head smells like a good dream."

"I thought about how enormous life was and how enormous also the space between people could be."

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid debut collection of stories about queer intimacies, family, desire, racialized and mixed-race experience, the pandemic, religion/spirituality, dis/connection and belonging - so much world (but especially Montreal and Toronto) and life here, with abundant tenderness and good humor. I'm looking forward to whatever comes next from this writer.

[etherealacademia · Rating 5 out of 5]

an amazing collection of queer short stories. I'm going to be recommending this forever

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an engaging collection of short stories that primarily placed queer mixed-race Asian Canadians (primarily in Eastern Canada) at the center, many of whom are struggling with loneliness and/or relationships of some kind. I was really taken to the way that Chau Bradley considered different forms of attachments, platonic or otherwise, and the ways they can manifest in complicated ways. What I also found interesting was that Chau Bradley never offered any sort of closure to their stories, which I felt added another layer of loneliness to many of these characters’ lives. Some stories ended with a bittersweet taste in one’s mouth, especially because you might have wanted more for that story’s protagonist. Other stories ended with a pit in one’s stomach, due to the tension that arose over the course of the story (I think especially of the final short story in the collection, “Soft Shoulder”).

I don’t think this short story collection will quite work for everyone, especially if you’re looking for something lighthearted. There certainly is humor, but it is the sardonic kind that Chau Bradley brilliantly delivers. I did feel that some stories lacked, but the stronger ones really shone.

[isha · Rating 5 out of 5]

not to be corny but this was just delightful to read ! it took me a while to get used to the writing style but it was worth it. Bradley has a firm grasp in writing out stream-of-consciousness, I found myself getting consumed in the protagonist’s thoughts as if they were my own. The story of Tommy & Shirin was my favourite, there was imagery of having goldfish in the mouth that I found so witty and child-like. This does what Interpreter of Maladies did for me, albeit the writing style and contents were very different. It also does what Murakami doesn’t do for me. While each story doesn’t necessarily have a lesson to take away from it, it does leave you with a wistful feeling, that you understood how it might be to live that life that is described. Each story is unique from the last, this body of work demonstrates Bradley’s impressive range of what they are capable of. One thing I will say is that the stories were a little inconsistent, some being easy reads and others dragging on pointlessly. But maybe that’s just my inability to relate.

[Alanna Why · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this collection, long review to come! (Thank you to Metonymy Press for providing a digital ARC for review purposes.)

[Monida Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it - what a fun read. more thoughts to come!!!

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

So grateful to have stumbled upon this collection at my local gay bookstore, further solidifying the fact that there should be more gay bookstores. These stories are so authentically wonderfully painfully queer and I need 1000 more. I’m not usually one for short stories but the voices in each one are so strong, it feels like you’ve been with the characters for pages and pages.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

been reading these short stories on and off for a while but had to wrap it up sooner or later!!

[Matthew Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a treat that this Canadian short story collection ends in—well, just outside of—Providence. And boy is it a Providence type of story, except for the part that a warehouse show happened directly across the street from a place that sells pizza by the slice. (PROVIDENCE THIS IS NOT A REAL PLACE, IS IT??) The various narrators' distrust of/disdain for certain Gen Z queer attitudes sat well with me, an old gay who thinks that (for instance) delivering food to shut-ins could be seen as a valid form of community building whereas having a panic attack at a public protest might not be as useful.

[Rachelle Hamilton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good short story collection. The writer has a really great voice and I’d love to read something from them again. First and last stories were my favourite

[Callie Whitesell · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mixed bag. Two of these stories will stick with me while others fell flat. The one focusing on COVID was downright painful to read (derogatory).

[Lee Lai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helen's work makes me excited about writing, in the moments where i'm losing steam. I laughed aloud a lot reading this book, and found my toes curling at some of the more uncomfortably familiar scenarios (Only the Lonely, oh god).

I haven't yet seen The Ends of Gods and Heroes get the mentions it deserves as such a heartbreaker of a piece – young, weird, obsessive friendship in all its specificities is captured so well here and that's so hard to do.

[Eli · Rating 5 out of 5]

i’m in love!!

[Isabel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a full review of this wonderfully queer collection up on The Puritan if you like to read that sort of thing: http://puritan-magazine.com/review-of....

[Kira · Rating 5 out of 5]

These short stories are unapologetically queer, in every sense of the word. Addressing gender (or lack thereof), sexuality, racism and capitalism. Each story is singular and yet moves as one; an uncanny and astute representation of being queer in this day and age. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

[Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book. I found it per chance in a queer bookstore in Manchester and read most of it in one sitting. I was really torn whether to keep reading or savor each story at a time. The writing feels personal and haunting. It is sometimes a bit over the top and clumsy when it comes to storytelling but when it is good, it is GOOD. The absurdist elements in some of the stories feel poignant and deserved rather than farfetched. I especially liked the last couple, a bit longer stories. It is impressive how many different characters the author was able to embody and I can't wait to read more by them.

[Camille Roylance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a great collection of short stories. Stories about queerness and obsession and desire and death and our shared experiences as humans.

[Phaedra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loveeeee this book! second time reading it, i will definitely read it again and again

[Sarah Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, these stories! I loved this book from beginning to end and wished it would keep going.

Each well-constructed story is its own universe, yet the collection is knit together by careful observation, an edgy balance of self-awareness and self-centeredness (is this a shared millennial experience?).

I often find short stories leave me wanting - for some sort of resolution, if not closure. However, the author brings us into each set of characters' lives so completely, in so few words, that we understand when an ending comes - nothing felt abrupt or forced, here, only bittersweet in the acceptance of situations that range from mildly uncomfortable to deeply unsettling.

[Aglaé Villegas · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fact that the stories were not about queer people in the way we often see in books or movies (stories of coming out, etc), but in the way we are in real life. I loved that it was set in Montreal (mostly). The stories were all beautifully written, and all had a different feel to them, which I really enjoyed. I look forward to reading more of Helen Chau Bradley’s work!

[Naya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved so many of these short stories especially the ones in the latter half. So addicting and a quick read that kept me hooked throughout. I loved the way Chau explored the different facets of intimacy and portrayed that even through interpersonal relationships and attachments, we can feel loneliness. Also loved the shoutout to Ottawa in one of the stories lol

[Michaela Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was enjoying the collection, and then the final story "Soft Shoulder" just knocked it out of the park. Wow, just wow. I want to read that story over and over. The escalation of tension is so well done.

[Laura Sackton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read my review of this wonderful book here: https://booksandbakes.substack.com/p/...

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

She's just like me for real (if you made all my most troubling characteristics life destroyingly destructive)

[Suzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You are melding with the ether, where you will never again be alone.”

Thanks to Metonymy for the free copy!

This short story collection expertly layers many quiet moments of loneliness and loss to create a striking emotional experience that is difficult to achieve through short stories.
It is a collection full of vulnerability, with soft, weird, flawed, and sometimes funny characters. We meet each of the protagonists, who are mostly queer and Asian-Canadian, as they’re grappling with desire, uncertainty, shame, and failure.
Some stories were experimental and thrilling, others were hyper-focused slow burns. I’ll be thinking about all of them for a long time.

A few of my favorite stories:
-Soft Shoulder: a gay POC punk band who goes on tour with a new white male manager, told in first person plural
-Personal Attention Roleplay: a listicle writer replaces her codependent relationship with her roommate with an endless stream of a minimalist ASMR channel
-Finisterre: two cousins are forced by their parents to hike the Camino de Santiago after one comes out as queer and the other prioritizes parties and their best friend over their college classes
-Surface Dive: a former lifeguard attempts to move past an unsettling lake rescue mission

[Brianna Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

"hard to work with" which is what people say when you call bullshit instead of eating it.

Whoa, okay!!

Sweet little short tidbits and then some delicious longer stories. Normally I get bored when short story collections include anything over 10 pages, but the longer ones were just so good.

Each story felt so distinct but still so strong, excited to read more of their work.

Also, are we all just forming insane blood-rituals and bonded by mythology as little kids only for a year or so to pass and our friends no longer have anything in common with us and it's like it never happened? Interesting.

[France-Andrée Lafrenière · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Quelle belle façon de terminer une année et d’en débuter une autre!

Je ne lis pas souvent des recueils de nouvelles. Je m’attache trop aux personnages et je voudrais que leur histoire ne s’arrête pas si tôt. Mais dans Personnal Attention Roleplay, je n’ai pas ressenti cette frustration. J’ai plongé immédiatement dans chaque histoire, qui sont si bien écrites que j’en aurais voulu plus. J’ai beaucoup aimé les thèmes queers abordés de façon parfaite, c’est-à-dire avec authenticité et sans artifice.

Helen Chau Bradley est une autrice que je vais suivre de près à l’avenir.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! I love short story collections. And I love queer literature! Sometimes it feels like queer authors are only ever allowed to write one story, so I really liked getting to read multiple storylines with different characters and perspectives.My favourite stories were Personal Attention Roleplay, Finisterre, and Soft Shoulder. Can’t wait until this author puts out another book and I can support them and Metonymy Press again!

[Catherine Porter · Rating 4 out of 5]

i've never been a short story person but i really enjoyed these! most of the stories center queer, Asian-Candian characters, and each is clever, funny & different. the stories are a perfect length for riding on the T and i enjoyed the little glow that you usually get after finishing a full book after each one. i think my favorite was "finisterre" but i really liked most of them