Rick Dasenbrock

is from a conservative, Cincinnati Lutheran family, his father and German-speaking great-grandfather were theologically trained ministers. A heavy-set midwesterner, from an early age Dasenbrock affected a refined, superior attitude, quietly disdaining the beer-drinking, corny philistines he grew up with. His family feared that he was turning out to be a bit of a fairy. In his first year at Lutheran college, “Das Rick” embraced existentialism, renounced Christ, and soon dropped out. From then on he spent most of his time reading philosophy, buying rare books and listening to old records, while scraping by off a small inheritance. When asked about his politics, he claims to prefer Bruno Bauer to Karl Marx. Occasionally intimate with a high school friend and a habitué of the local dive bar, this relationship came to a sudden end when he found out that she had been sleeping with his older brother for the last ten years. At the age of 38 he was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for attempted murder. While incarcerated, he began to compose notebooks consisting of short commentaries on whatever books he could persuade the prison’s librarian to order. After his release, Rick spends his time polishing and expanding his notebooks, preparing for a posthumous reception. He’s recently gotten back together with his ex.

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Little Infinities | Fall-Winter 2023