OKPsyche

DeNiro (City of a Thousand Feelings) offers a beguiling if somewhat opaque glimpse into a trans woman’s journey to find safety, acceptance, and love in a near-future Minnesota. Told in the second person, the narrative follows an unnamed trans woman (referred to in dialogue as either “______” or “deadname”) as she carries out relatively mundane tasks in service of a mysterious project, including constructing a large camera obscura that allows her to see her somewhat estranged son. She socializes, dates, and talks with family members both living and dead, all while the narrative gives glimpses of political and social turmoil happening just outside the frame. It’s not always clear how metaphorical or imaginary particular moments are meant to be—as when a Home Depot employee channels the woman’s dead father—and abstract musings on human behavior add to the story’s murkiness. Still, this is a fascinating and often lovely weird fiction character study. (Sept.)