Arty Wall is crumbling. Like a city on the verge of collapse, his life has become a fragmented and chaotic mess, destined for ruin. He can barely hang onto his job as an urban planner in Toronto. Though his city is thriving, he is failing. He's broke and overweight. He's addicted to food and slot machines. He spends hours in public washrooms, deciphering messages written on the walls. His wife, star of the home renovation show, Reno T.O., leaves him. His father dies building condos. His mother--walled in by Alzheimer's--lives in a nursing home he can't afford. His militant, graffiti-artist niece takes over his apartment with her girlfriend, Zappa. His nephew is planning to vandalize every mansion he can get his hands on. A homeless man moves into the back of his red van. Arty no longer recognizes himself, his family or his home. And like many hapless urbanites, he blames the city for his lot in life. The once-liveable place has become unliveable for him: too expensive, too busy, too fast, too much construction, too much traffic, and too much noise. As the city makes gains, Arty takes losses, except for weight. He's gained a considerable amount--simultaneously consuming and being consumed by Hogtown. Unless he can map out a new sense of place, Arty runs the risk of being subtracted from the burgeoning urban landscape forever.

Nic Labriola is the author of the narrative poetry collection, Naming the Mannequins (Insomniac Press, 2009), the story collection, Francis and the Animals (Leaping Lion Books, 2013), and the novel, Winnie's Tongue (Insomniac Press, 2015). His work is concerned with the absurd and often grotesque aspects of life and how humour and storytelling help us to survive. He teaches literature and writing at Seneca College. He lives in Toronto with his darling wife, Samantha, and their beautiful daughter, Lucy for as long as the city will allow.

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