A Circle is a Balloon and Compass Both is a collection of stories about love, the most elusive and problematic of all phenomena. With a mix of traditional, literary prose and boldsome might even say irresponsibleexperimentation, Ben Greenman explores the ins and outs of modern romance. Expect tears, nudity, and recrimination. From the half-hearted summer affair between a part-time bartender and a married doctor in a Miami hotel to the cryptic pseudo-erotic love letters to a friend who is more than a friend, we experience the love of pop songs, the love of cohabitation in Chicago, and love that is so transporting it takes us to the moonliterally.Like Green Day did for punk rock, and The Matrix for kung-fu flicks, this new collection from New Yorker editor Greenman could well become an advocate for the short story with those who havent been interested in the form. Amusing, palatable . . . its precisely the sort of thing that can gain a new audience for a genre. Time Out Chicago A smart, tightly structured collection . . . playful, wryly comical. The Brooklyn Rail Seriously funny. San Francisco ChronicleWildly inventive, sometimes surreal, but tenderly told, these stories give a glimpse of what Phillip K. Dick might have written if hed allowed himself a sincere broken heart. Paste MagazineFrom the Trade Paperback edition.