Full Disclosure: CSE Cooney is a friend of mine, and I regularly attend her live readings.
I was really psyched that she'd finally gotten a story on an EA cast. I've been listening to you guys about the same length of time that I've known her, and I've been anticipating hearing her here for about that long. Her stories and poems are fun to read, but they really shine when heard.
So, I'd had really high hopes for this one, which I have heard her read and was blown away by (in the most horrible way possible). Alas, I was disappointed by the reading. I don't think it's anyone's fault (I've enjoyed other stories read by the same narrator). I think Miss Cooney's work just straddles a line between poetry and prose that probably requires musical notations to read properly. And, naturally, those notations are only in her head. If there were anyone I'd wish the "no authors reading their own work" rule would be bent for, it's her.
I'm still really glad to have heard her on PP, and I really hope for more in the future, on any of the casts.
As for the story itself, it's pretty heavy on the metaphor, and yes, extremely squicky. I think Alasdair's comments about intimacy hit the nail right on the head. Who are we to define what closeness is? When a person stops seeing themselves, what does it take to make them feel something real? And who are we to deny them that experience?
The one with the hypnosis was also extremely creepy, the best read, and ultimately the most effective of the three.
The third one was just really bizarre lesbian tentacle porn that, while it had some interesting images, had no cohesion or sense and left me pretty flat. Er, no pun intended.
This was a pretty good collection of three horrific stories about intimacy, so, well done on that score. Alasdair's segues were quite good.
For anyone who wants to hear CSE Cooney reading her own work (which I highly recommend), she's done several poems for Goblin Fruit, so check there. I won't link, it's probably bad manners to link to the competition, eh?