Altmann’s Tongue by Brian Evenson

He came close enough to her to see the webbed stresses on the surface of her eye spreading out from the minute white pocks of crushed glass. He wondered how it felt for her to have the roughness of the glass scratching against the insides of her eyelid, damaging it.

From “Eye” as included in Altmann’s Tongue

If you haven’t read anything by Brian Evenson then you haven’t seen the true capabilities of modern literature. Every line in Altmann’s Tongue simultaneously provokes, disgusts, and intrigues. And though much of the story collection might seem hard to comprehend at first a reader feels assured that Evenson leads a worthy journey. Do I know what the words “atumescence” or “transubstantiation” mean? I could venture a guess, but complete understanding is not what one seeks when reading Evenson. It’s about the journey, the path, and also about sucking a false eyeball out of a girl’s head (read “Eye”).

After reading this collection one might understand why the Mormon church excommunicated Evenson based primarily, if not entirely, on the content of Altmann’s Tongue. Or you might be like me and not quite understand the church’s action. But ultimately I thank the church for their decision. I wonder if Evenson would have been able to continue writing what he writes if supported by the Mormon religion. Evenson reads like pen without religion, going where it pleases no matter the hand steering it.