"How to Talk to Your Mother" Response

Hi, this is Carson Patterson.
To me, the most striking aspect of "How to Talk to Your Mother (Notes)" (and Lorrie Moore's work in general; I love her stories) is the author's surprising way of combining events, words, and concepts that are not usually associated. For example, she writes, "Try to figure out what has made your life go wrong. It is like trying to figure out what is stinking up the refrigerator. It could be anything." (p.90). Or she compares shopping to masturbation. These comparisons are often amusing and they tend to combine the mundane with the profound or shocking. I think that this shows the complexity of the relationship between our beliefs and search for truth and meaning with the reality of daily life.