To Assume a Pleasing Shape

A body-pierced goth girl cage-dances for a living while putting herself through school. A New York City academic reevaluates her closest relationships while considering breast-reduction surgery. A chatty Gulf War veteran is plagued by a sexual identity crisis. The characters in this debut short story collection search for meaning through the crucible of sex. Joseph Salvatore's top-notch literary writing coaxes readers into murky territories as characters spiral deeper into existential rabbit holes. Joseph Salvatore reviews fiction for The New York Times Book Review. He teaches at The New School where he founded their literary journal LIT. He lives in New York.