Uncovering a personal stash of collected ephemera can unleash a torrent of once-held ideals, longstanding hang-ups, and misdirected pursuits. In Stubs: 2001–2010, John Kim tackles head-on a stack of old concert ticket stubs spanning a decade. Each story revisits a stub, and his indie-rock-snob perspectives—at times self-deprecating, more often comedically judgmental—are punctuated with unabashed fanboy regard for pop acts and romantic interests alike.

With a backdrop of post-grad and early career pressures and relationships, the volubly recounted backstories and recollections of specific shows, from disappointment distilled (Modest Mouse at the Wiltern, 2005) to the acoustically sublime (The Breeders at the Fillmore, 2002), demonstrate how fandom and obsessions ease, or at least mark, transitions and time.

— John Kim started writing fanzines in the mid-90s including Coed Naked Sex! and Lemonade. He has an MFA from UC Irvine. His writing has appeared in The Normal School, Southern Humanities Review, and other publications. He lives in Maryland with his family. -Publisher