Publication Date: April 1, 2025
Discover PS Conway’s deeply cynical yet comedic reflections on the Great COVID Lockdown in this collection of satirical essays, perfect for fans of Seinfeld’s humor about “nothing” and skeptics of society’s enduring absurdities.
What happens when a poet with a darkly literate soul turns his attention to the absurdity of a global pandemic? You get PS Conway’s unique brand of “literary comedic nihilism.” Written during 40 weeks of lockdown, this unapologetically irreverent collection of essays is more relevant now than ever. Originally shared on his (now-defunct) blog, “Life Sucks. Laugh Here,” Conway’s essays serve as both a nostalgic reflection on a “troubling period in history” and a cautionary tale about society’s cyclical absurdity.
A two-time Pushcart Nominee, Conway is the author of over 50 poems published across journals and anthologies, including two Amazon Best Sellers. He released his first poetry collection, Echoes Lost in Stars, in March 2024 to critical acclaim. With Life Sucks, Conway brings his trademark wit and dark humor to the page. From the existential significance of a colonoscopy to that of baseball and the overlooked reality of “Manopause,” he fearlessly skewers lockdown life, politics, and the human condition.
By the time you finish Life Sucks, you’ll understand what Conway meant when he wrote, “My intention was for readers to learn a little, laugh a lot, and then forget about it all, because none of it ever really mattered anyway. The good news? It happened before, and it’ll happen again. You never had to worry. Ever. Facts are just science’s opinions.”
“Snarky” comes to mind when diving through the politically incorrect collection of musings created during the infamous Covid pandemic.
Author PS Conway comes out of the gate roaring with Life Sucks. It is a collection of 46 stories guaranteed to offend those with delicate sensibilities, bird lovers, and anyone with a pulse.
However, the dark satirical humor delivers the gift of laughter, which is often challenging to find when dealing with a lockdown.
Rather than hitting open mic night at the comedy club, the author packages everything together with the label of “literary comedic nihilism” for readers to discover. It’s a well-written foray into what typically would be described as an inner voice or silent mutterings that would offend if overheard.
Life Sucks reminds me of Seinfeld episodes in book form—sometimes funny, sometimes offensive and sometimes undefinable.
PS Conway has published more than 50 poems in online journals and 16 poetry anthologies. His first poetry collection, Echoes Lost in Stars,, was published by Literary Revelations in 2024. A two-time Pushcart Nominee, PS is The Fictional Café 2024-25 Poet-in-Residence. Life Sucks is his first work of nonfiction.
