A minimalist style of writing often used in
short fiction. It usually features
depressed middle class working people in bleak settings. The term "Kmart realism" was originally meant to be insulting. Authors include Tao Lin, Chris Killen,
Joy Williams, Ann Beattie, Frederick Barthelme, and (to a lesser extent) Sam Pink.
"Sometimes when dolphins went to playgrounds alone they did the monkeybars and went to the swings and on the swings thought, "I hate this
stupid world."
They thought, "I hate it."
They cried a little with the wind against their face.
They felt so bad that they went away.
And found Elijah
Wood and told Elijah
Wood to go with them and Elijah Wood went--because he thought it was a movie. Elijah Wood and other celebrities like Salman Rushdie rode dolphins in rivers. Salman Rushdie felt proud and famous. And the dolphins swam to islands and
beat Elijah Wood and the other famous people with
heavy branches. They cried when they murdered human beings, and it was terrible.
One dolphin had a battle axe and killed Wong Kar-
Wai."
Tao Lin, a writer of "Kmart realism".
