131 Different Things — Akashic Books

When Sam, a bartender in New York, hears that his ex, Vicki, his one true love, has quit AA and is out drinking again, he embarks on a quest to find her. Sam and his sidekick Francis trek from dive bars to gay bars to rocker bars--encountering skinheads, party promoters, underage drug dealers, and dominatrixes--but it seems they are always one step behind Vicki, almost as if 131 different things are keeping the lovers apart. Before the night is over, Sam will have to wrestle with what he is really looking for.

Zachary Lipez, known for his essays and music writing, brings his pithy, multilayered, and self-deprecating voice to fiction with this first novella. Nick Zinner's photographs heighten the intimacy with his sensitive and sympathetic eye. Stacy Wakefield, editor and art director, ties the book together beautifully with her impeccable design.