things have gotten worse since we last spoke eric larocca

[Actually, we do need to take a moment to talk about the exclusionary queer rhetoric and transphobic/non-binary-phobic tone of this criticism:

People were very quick to suggest that “Zoe” could well be some man pretending to be something he isn’t (queer, a woman, honest, etc.). One thing I saw a lot online was the accusation that while the work is presented as being a queer relationship between two women, given that the entire thing takes place online, and therefore we have no assurance that either of the protagonists (but especially the “Zoe” character) is who they say they are. Writing it isn’t the problem, how you write it is.) (And even then, the interest expressed would have to be exceedingly prurient for me to start really coming down on a cis heterosexual man for daring to engage the topic. Though it pains me to do so, let’s put aside the rampant anti-queer and non-binary-phobic nature of the rhetoric which equates LaRocca’s work with something written about queer people or lesbians who is also a cishet man. I have no idea if those who took such umbrage online with the work took the time to read this critical framing device and understand its purpose. This Author’s Note is not, as far as I can tell, from LaRocca themself, because this is a diegetic author’s note, it is part-and-parcel of the novella itself. This text contains themes of abuse, mental and physical, and gore, so TW.The most important part of Eric LaRocca’s Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke is the Author’s Note which opens the novel. This is a text full of abstract yet poignant meaning you cannot trust those in your life if you are not willing to trust yourself and your need for validation.

I found very surreal moments in this text to be likened to my own situations in the past, and while I have seen critiques online stating that the author knows nothing of WLW/queer relationships, this text is meant to be approached for the surreal, story telling qualities that it possesses. This is a text for all queer people of any creed in my opinion it came in very close to home for me. I found this text to be right on time for me to read, and it gave me extreme introspection into online relationships and the notion of trust, honesty, as well as the lengths that people are willing to go to find acceptance and closure in painful situations.

Things have gotten worse since we last spoke eric larocca