Other People (Shinn)
by Christopher Shinn

Stephen, a struggling playwright and website movie critic, invites his ex-boyfriend, Mark, to spend Christmas with him and his roommate, Petra, a poet and stripper.

Mark, who's recently completed making an independent film and is fresh out of rehab, begins his life back in the real world by becoming friends with Tan, a street hustler with a penchant for public masturbation.

Meanwhile, Petra begins to engage outside of work with one of her customers, a kind, lonely investment banker who'd rather hear her talk than see her strip.

In the crucible of a tiny East Village apartment, Stephen, Mark and Petra struggle with questions of art, sex and each other as the impending New Year forces them to define how they want to live and love in a dark and confusing world.