The 4th story in Julián Herbert’s 2017 (translated in 2020) collection Bring me the Head of Quentin Tarantino is called “NEETS”.

For anyone like me who has no idea what the titular acronym means, I’ve learned that it pertains to young people (17ish-24ish) who are Not in Education, Employment, or Training.

In Herbert’s native Mexico, that’s about 16-20% of young people.

Neat?

The story opens on the birthday of our 60-year-old narrator. His son has come over for dinner, and has brought a hostess/bday gift of a bag of condoms. As far as Dad’s concerned, a 28-year-old kid who works at an NGO helping the LGBTQ community is a NEET.

And dad’s job? He sleeps, or pretends to sleep with sick people. “I am not a prostitute, I’m a conceptual artist who has exhibited his work in his five international biennials.”

Again, neat?!?

Let’s be clear, the sick people are those who have HIV. He’s not just sleeping with them, he’s making gonzo porn. To read his story is to understand how he got there (it’s almost logical?), how he met his 30-year old wife (who is pregnant), how hummingbirds die when they are near her. Vainey, the wife, is HIV positive and swears the baby is his even though he never took off the condom. And dad, well “I had myself tested and I’m not infected. That isolates me from them. That and the hummingbirds.”

This story is a doozy, and I really like the entire collection. All Herbert’s stories lean into the dark side (much like Mariana Enriquez), “NEETS” perhaps the most grim. That said, it’s a fascinating exploration of the ethics of art.

If you like life on the margins, go and grab the head of Quentin Tarantino.