Entomology of the Pin-Up Girl

Winner of the 2024 Dzanc Short Story Collection Prize, Entomology of the Pin-Up Girl delivers a terrific play on the “monstrous feminine”—captivating stories of women shedding their skins and exoskeletons and blurring the boundaries between predator and prey. A dissatisfied wife wraps herself in a silk cocoon. Teenage girls declare decay as the newest fashion trend. A new religion emerges from blood-sucking moths. And Grete Samsa wakes to find herself transformed—not into a cockroach, but a monstrous camel spider, famished and salivating for the man at the door. A surreal exploration of nature, sexuality, disaster and desire, Lauren Osborn’s stunning debut isa must-read for fans of Lidia Yuknavitch, Aimee Bender, and K-Ming Chang. The final edition will include six full-page, black-and-white illustrations by brilliant artist Jenny Eickbush.