The Art of Bars

In this savage twist on The Art of War, a female Bukowski seeks solace in booze and strange men while struggling with the twelve steps out of her own personal hell. Tough, gritty, at times darkly funny, The Art of Bars is a lyrical meditation on the problems women face in seeking love while numbing real feelings. The unnamed protagonist is on a rocky road to self-destruction while battling herself and her demons. She is both pathetic and endearing because her scoffing veneer is so thin and brittle while the trough of despair beneath it so deep. Readers will root for her as she unveils her desperate search for self-love, hoping she can-like all of us-find a modicum of peace.