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"
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“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 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
“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
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• Read a "hermit crab" interview in Punctuate Magazine.
• Visit The Shell Game website with Discussion Guide and Further Reading