Curtis Smith is the author of five previous books of fiction. His stories and essays have appeared in over seventy literary journals and have been cited by The Best American Short Stories, The Best American Mystery Stories, and The Best American Spiritual Writing. He lives and works in Pennsylvania with his wife and son.
“There are elements in these stories we recognize—the vacation story, the murder mystery, Godzilla, geometry—and their brilliance is how Curtis Smith takes these expectations and plays with and against them, twisting, pulling, bringing us along wherever he goes. There are surprises, plot twits, playful language and form, shifts in emotion that catch you off guard. Most importantly, Smith infuses these stories with humor. He surprises you with it; he alleyoops comedic setups, then grabs you and breaks your heart, leaving you wondering what just happened."
— Aaron Burch, Editor, Hobart
“Curtis Smith’s characters walk a thin line separating light and darkness, and when they stumble—as they invariably do—they fall into the dark side, into a world of hurt and crime—or worse. Men and monsters: we soon come to realize, there’s really little difference between the two. How easily his characters step into the shoes of killers, how perfectly they wear the skin of Godzilla. These are not tales to calm our jackrabbity hearts.”
— Jim Clark, Editor, The Greensboro Review
“With sensibility and wit, Curtis Smith renders a world of charm and chaos. Smith is a writer of substance and talent, and Bad Monkey is a jungle of delight.”
— Kim Chinquee, author of Oh Baby
“Reading Curtis Smith’s prose is like listening to a brilliant electric guitar solo: you not only hear the music, you fall into it head-first until it alters the beat of your heart, the rhythm of your breathing. Do yourself a favor and put Bad Monkey on your must-read list.”
— John McNally, author of Ghosts of Chicago and The Book of Ralph
“These stories brim with the energy of crime fiction and the ambition of high literature. Each piece in this collection achieves sublimity: that ineffable moment when the unanticipatable become the inevitable. Wonderful alone and, in concert, magnificent.”
— Pinckney Benedict, author of Miracle Boy and Other Stories
Curtis Smith
