Aching Strangeness: A Review of Lisa Johnson Mitchell’s SO AS NOT TO DIE ALONE by Allison Renner
So as Not to Die Alone
By Lisa Johnson Mitchell
Finishing Line Press (January 2024)
70 pp.
In So as Not to Die Alone, Lisa Johnson Mitchell shares stories of people yearning for a human connection to, arguably, not die alone. The stories are filled with quirky characters who are off-putting yet endearing and full of potential.
The characters show the author’s skill in capturing the complexities of the human experience with compassion. Each person is portrayed with depth and subtlety as they carry their own burdens, allowing readers to empathize with their struggles and root for them despite their flaws.
The situations characters find themselves in are raw and relatable: first dates, high school reunions, crashing a Zoom meeting. Awkward encounters are handled with humor, which balances the introspection characters experience.
One of the book’s strengths lies in its exploration of family dynamics and relationships. Mitchell navigates the strains and tensions within families with sensitivity, delving into themes of resentment, grief, and the weight of responsibility. Through moments of humor and honesty, she deftly balances the complexities of these relationships, offering readers a nuanced portrayal of human connection.
Four stories (“Summer, 1979,” “Dirty Laundry,” “The Sister from Nestor,” and “Big Love”) especially stand out as shorter pieces in the collection that still pack a punch. “Dirty Laundry” and “Big Love” both deal with being a caregiver for an elderly parent. These stories address the profound questions about mortality and the search for meaning in a life filled with pain that responsibility inspires.
In “Summer, 1979,” the use of fragmented, stream-of-consciousness prose adds to the story’s sense of urgency and immediacy. This mirrors the narrator’s scattered thoughts and mounting panic regarding a teenage pregnancy. The nonlinear structure effectively conveys the fear she feels as she grapples with the reality of her situation. “The Sister from Nestor” uses a similar nonlinear approach via an interior monologue that addresses assault, loss, and memory.
Mitchell herself says, “Nothing matches but somehow it all goes together.” That’s certainly true of this poignant collection full of vulnerability and longing. Each story encapsulates the search for purpose in a world of isolation and misunderstanding. Yet, throughout it all, the author’s use of irony keeps the collection light-hearted and entertaining while conveying deeper themes about human nature and the importance of empathy and acceptance.
Allison Renner’s fiction and photography have appeared in South Florida Poetry Journal, Ellipsis Zine, Six Sentences, Rejection Letters, Atlas and Alice, Misery Tourism, Versification, FERAL, and vulnerary magazine. Her chapbook Won’t Be By Your Side is out from Alien Buddha Press. She can be found online at allisonrennerwrites.com and on Twitter @AllisonRWrites.