‘Ideal holiday-reading. But holiday-reading perhaps more suited to the 3am fluorescence of a departure lounge than the roaring noon of a sun-soaked poolside.’
The Guardian
Rodge’s debut collection of short stories was published as LoveSexTravelMusik: Stories for the EasyJet Generation in 2013, by Freight Books. A Serbian Edition, featuring the extra story ‘The Good Stuff’ plus all the original stories, was published as Price za Izidjet Generaciju by Rasic Literary Worksohp of Belgrade in 2016.
This book has seen Rodge’s stories variously translated for the first time into several new languages. The stories ‘Orientation #1’, ‘Orientation #2’ and ‘Intervention’ were published in Albanian in Poeteka in 2017, and the story ’59 Places to Fuck in Arizona’ was published in Slovenian (LUD Literatura, 2014), also Hebrew and Spanish (Maaboret, 2017). This story is available to read here on The Short Story Project, or available to listen to here, read by Daniel Winer.
Stories from this book have appeared in a number of different books and anthologies, including the following: ‘I Know My Team and I Shall Not Be Moved’ (in Roads Ahead, Tindal Street Press, 2009) ‘There’s Always Arizona’ (in Edinburgh Review 138, 2011), ‘We’re All Gonna Have the Blues’ (in Beacons, Oneworld, 2013), ‘Liberation Street’ (in Gutter #8, Freight, 2013) and ‘After Drink You Can Turn Earth Upside Down’ (in Elsewhere, McSweeneys/Cargo, 2013)
‘Sharing a theme of cheap air travel, these short stories reflect on a world lubricated by flights that cost less than lunch. Far from realising their dreams of far-flung countries, the characters find a globalised world where cultures spill over and leak into one another. Buried in each story is the same quote from André Gide, exploring the idea that, although expectations of grand discovery are always thwarted (a character in Uruguay remarks that ‘it’s hardly Columbus territory’), there is always ‘an unexpected education’ to be found in the disappointment that follows. Whether that is a major epiphany or minor clarification, ‘you’ll be glad you didn’t stay at home.’ Rodge Glass uses first, second, and third person narration for these stories, launching each one in a different style only to arrive at a voice that lands in the same place. As the world slips towards an homogenous gloop of love sex travel music, the only truly exotic place left on earth is inside your head.’
The Skinny, ****
Rodge Glass’ eagerly awaited new book is potentially one of the most perceptive pieces of modern writing to date. With bright, bold prose, Glass breathes new life into the exotic cities that have been reduced to a few empty paragraphs in travel guides. The collection hosts some of Glass’ best writing, two particular examples being ‘Orientation #1’ and ‘Do All Things with Love’. In his experimenting with various techniques, both pieces are excellent portrayals of Glass’ thoughtful and unique style, which make LoveSexTravelMusik utterly compelling.’
The List, *****
More Praise for Stories for the EasyJet Generation:
‘There’s plenty of love, sex and travel in Rodge Glass’s collection of short, smart, sassy stories, but not much music. One of the best of them, however, is set in the Jazzrock Blues bar in Cracow, where the atmosphere of disillusion, cynicism and impending doom is worthy of Roberto Bolaño. In another good story, a gormless oven-salesman hero is transfixed by the hips of a singer in a tourist bar in Tunisia. The stories are mostly concerned with travel and the plight of the ignorant tourist relying on Lonely Planet during the day and booze at night to cope with a foreign land. Some are excellent’
Irish Times
‘Never before has the impact of low-cost international air travel on modern lives been so thoughtfully considered and brilliantly captured as by the author of the acclaimed comic novel Bring Me the Head of Ryan Giggs.’
EasyJet Magazine
You can find the story ‘Orientation #1’ here published by Books from Scotland.
You can buy copies of this book here
Rodge Glass 