In Retail by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Retail dreams.

Having worked "in retail" for many years, this story deeply resonated with me. In only a few pages, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah effectively captures the monotony, stagnation and despair of being stuck in a retail job making minimum wage. He emerges as a fresh voice among young black authors, a new discovery that has impressed me so far with the sheer quality of his writing. His skillful use of understated and concise prose is particularly striking, imbuing his work with a quiet power. Every observational detail feels impeccably authentic while balancing humor and tragedy with finesse. 

The narrator works at a clothing store in a town mall. A humorous vignette unfolds during one of his shifts where he displays excellent customer service skills by helping a Spanish woman buy some clothes, even though there is a language barrier. Yet, despite the lighthearted comedy, there also exists an underlying sadness to the narrator's unfortunate circumstances. Additionally, a string of recent tragedies weighs heavy on the narrator's mind—the untimely deaths of other retail employees, all lost to suicide. These poignant losses cast a stark light on the harsh realities of the retail industry: a relentless grind where mistreatment, meager wages, and a sense of disposability prevail. In this poignant narrative, we are left to ponder the fate of our protagonist. Will he navigate the treacherous waters of the retail world unscathed, or will he become yet another casualty of the unforgiving retail industrial complex? Eventually, the primary reason and driving force behind his endurance of putting up with this degrading job, day in and day out, come to light. Hopefully it is only a temporary solution until he finds something better.