[Many thanks to Peter Jordens for bringing this item to our attention.] I’m Not Hungry but I Could Eat (Santa Fe Writers Project, December 2021) is a debut book of short stories by Christopher Gonzalez.

The New York Times writes, “This debut collection moves seamlessly between diners, bedrooms, and bachelor parties as its mostly bisexual Puerto Rican narrators indulge in moments of desire, shame, and grief. Food is ever abundant – lobster meat, platters of fries, mushy vegan recipes – but what really holds these stories together is a singular, unapologetic voice.”

Ruth Joffre (author of Night Beast) says, “Few authors have the power to make readers feel seen at a visceral level, but Gonzalez achieves this in virtually every short story in this essential collection. His clear-eyed prose captures all the messy joys and crackling anxieties of modern queer life, inviting readers to join its Puerto Rican characters on journeys punctuated by desire, shame, and grace. I’m Not Hungry But I Could Eat is a stunning debut that will leave readers hoping Gonzalez has a long and fruitful career.”

Description: Long nights, empty stomachs, and impulsive cravings haunt the stories of I’m Not Hungry But I Could Eat. A college grad reunites with a high school crush when invited to his bachelor party, a lonely cat-sitter wreaks havoc on his friends’ apartment, happy hour french fries leave more than grease on lips and fingers, and, squeezed into a diner booth, one man eats past his limit for the sake of friendship. Exploring the lives of bisexual and gay Puerto Rican men, these fifteen stories show a vulnerable, intimate world of yearning and desire. The stars of these narratives linger between living their truest selves and remaining in the wings, embarking on a journey of self-discovery to satisfy their hunger for companionship and belonging

Christopher Gonzalez is a co-fiction editor of Barrelhouse Magazine. His writing has appeared in The Nation, Split Lip, Cosmonauts Avenue, Best Small Fictions, Forward: 21st Century Flash Fiction, and elsewhere. Raised in Cleveland, he now lives in Brooklyn, NY and spends his waking hours tweeting about Oscar Isaac, book publishing, trash television, and Popeyes’ Spicy Chicken Sandwich @livesinpages.

Christopher Gonzalez
Santa Fe Writers Project, December 2021
115 pages
ISBN: 978-1951631215 (pb)
https://www.sfwp.com/books/not-hungry-but

Book reviews: https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781951631215, https://www.latinobookreview.com/im-not-hungry-but-i-could-eat—christopher-gonzalez–latino-book-review.html, and https://blog.pshares.org/community-and-junk-food-in-christopher-gonzalezs-im-not-hungry-but-i-could-eat