Women who've had it with the formulaic stories flooding the fiction market will appreciate this unique book, which puts a more literal spin on the tired term "chick-lit." New York City artist Sloan Tanen's Bitter With Baggage Seeks Same: The Life and Times of Some Chickens focuses on the concerns of modern women, with offbeat and sometimes biting humor that stands in striking contrast to her artfully arranged dioramas starring fluffy pom-pom chicks. One photo shows a chick wearing a crown and fake eyelashes, her pursed beak aimed at a plastic frog. The caption: "Anastasia was through making out with Ian. He was never going to change."
Each spread is elaborately detailed, from the chicks' plastic feet and pipe-cleaner beaks to the varied miniature settings—the zoo, the beach, laboratories, bathrooms, kitchens—complete with miniature milk cartons and newspapers. Hilarious, original and a bit unsettling, Tanen's wacky creation puts everyday problems in a whole new light—and that ain't chickenfeed.
