<p class=ql-align-justify>Jarrod Campbell's bold debut collection of short fiction traverses and examines the spaces and purposes assumed by the gay male not least his own. <em>The Reason I'm Here</em> departs from standard expectations of queer behavior to subvert these limited perceptions in favor of honest explorations of desire amnesia voyeurism betrayal physicality grief faith and uncertainty.&nbsp;Gritty dreamlike and reminiscent of Hitchcock and Cortázar these poignant stories walk on the wild side of human nature.</p><p><br></p>