The Shell Game

"Opens up a whole new world." —New Pages
The Shell Game (Writers Play with Borrowed Forms)
University of Nebraska Press, 2018
The Shell Game: Writers Play with Borrowed Forms is an anthology of intriguing essays that take their forms from ordinary, everyday sources: a recipe, a crossword puzzle, a Craig’s List ad... Edited and with an introduction by Kim Adrian, this selection of beautifully written, thought-provoking work has already become a classic in the increasingly popular genre affectionally known as "hermit crab essays."
The Shell Game lives proudly in The Millions' "Hall of Fame"


“The essays in this collection bring with them a sense of hope about literature and its capacity for evolution and change. . . . A volume that is as much an inspiration for other writers as it is a definitive collection of a constantly evolving genre.” —The Millions

“If you were to recommend this book to others, you’d likely tell them to savor it, make it last.” — Hippocampus Magazine

“Kim Adrian’s introduction demonstrates the potential and beauty of the hermit crab approach. . . . Her introduction, as lyrical as it is, is often laugh-out-loud funny.” —Literary Journalism Studies

The Shell Game pushes the boundaries of prose and opens up a whole new world. . . . It makes readers feel as if they are learning what an essay is (or could be) all over again.” —New Pages