The following version of this book was used to create this study guide: Bob-Waksberg, Raphael. Someone Who Will Love You in All Your Damaged Glory: Stories. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2019.

Someone Who Will Love You in All Your Damaged Glory is a collection of stories by Raphael Bob-Waksberg.

In “Salted Circus Cashews, Swear to God,” a woman goes on a first date with a man. The date goes well, but then the man gives the woman a can of cashews. The long label on the can makes many unconvincing claims that it is not actually a prank filled with spring-loaded rubber snakes.

“Short Stories” consists of ten one-to-two-sentence stories about love and dating. Each story focuses on a person who struggles with deep loneliness and romantic insecurity.

“A Most Blessed and Auspicious Occasion” follows a man named Peter who is engaged to be married to a woman named Dorothy. Peter and Dorothy want a very simple wedding, but under the pressure of their families, they obey many strange elaborate wedding ceremonies that are considered traditional in the world of this story.

In “Missed Connection—m4w,” a man boards a subway train and notices an attractive woman. The man and the woman sit on the train for decades as the man tries to work up the courage to talk to her.

In “The Serial Monogamist’s Guide to Important New York City Landmarks,” a woman walks through New York City and tries not to think about past relationships. Unfortunately, nearly every landmark is a place where she went on a date in a past relationship.

In “We Men of Science,” a scientist named Yoni opens a door to an alternate dimension. He falls in love with a woman in the alternate dimension, but he feels that he should not act on this attraction, as Yoni is married and his wife is pregnant. In “Lies We Told Each Other (a partial list),” the story recounts lies told between two members of a dysfunctional relationship.

In “These Are Facts,” 16-year-old Heather goes on vacation with her parents in Mexico. Also joining them is Heather’s estranged half-brother West. Heather desperately tries to form a bond with West so that he will not leave them again. The story ends ambiguously.

“Lunch with the Person Who Dumped You” lists hypothetical scenarios between two people who used to date. In all of the scenarios, there is the sense of lingering tension between the two people.

“Rufus” is narrated by a dog named Rufus. Rufus attempts to be a good friend and companion to his owner. His owner enters a relationship, which soon ends tumultuously. Rufus then comforts his owner.

“Rules for Taboo” centers on a couple—Steve and Jillian. They explain the rules of the game Taboo to their friends. As they do so, they also confront each other about growing problems in their relationship.

“Up-and-Comers” follows a San Francisco-based rock band. One day, they develop superpowers and decide to become a superhero team. However, their powers are fueled by alcohol, and their descent into alcoholism wreaks havoc on their lives and relationships.

In “Move Across the Country,” a person moves to a different part of the country after a romantic heartbreak. They hope that a change of scenery will help them overcome their sadness. Unfortunately, their sadness soon returns to them.

“You Want to Know What Plays Are Like?” follows a woman named Virginia. She goes to New York City to see a performance of a play written by her brother Dusty. She is shocked to see that the play is based on their sister Shannon, who died of a drug overdose. Dusty explains to her that he wrote the play as a way of trying to process his grief over Shannon.

“The Poem” focuses on a couple—Fernando and Wendy. They begin dating after Wendy breaks off her engagement to someone else. Wendy sees the relationship as casual, but Fernando has very strong feelings for Wendy. On Valentine’s Day, Fernando gives Wendy a poem that he wrote for her. Wendy, now realizing how strong Fernando’s feelings for her are, decides to end the relationship.

“The Average of All Possible Things,” follows a character named Lucinda who works as a clerk/researcher at a law firm. She does not like her job very much. For five months, she dates Gavin, one of the lawyers at the firm. Gavin then ends the relationship. At first, Lucinda has trouble getting over the relationship, as she sees Gavin at work often. However, she then eventually begins to heal.

More of the You That You Already Are” follows an unnamed narrator who works at a U.S. president-themed amusement park. He does not like the job, but he needs the income to help support his sister, who is undergoing cancer treatment. One day, the park introduces a new attraction: a genetic homunculus that is a combination of the first ten U.S. presidents. After genetic being escapes, it is possible that the park will close down. The narrator’s only solace is that he will look for another job to help support his sister.

In “We Will Be Close on Friday 18 July,” a couple experiences a perfect day together, but the next day, they begin to fear that they will never have such a perfect day together again.