Jenna-Marie Warnecke’s short story “Cuddlebug” tells the story of Michael, a professional cuddler who spreads good vibes and loving kindness to his clients in the gig economy of New York City. Deeply troubled by a hidden physical deformity, sensitive Michael seeks fulfillment and an antidote to his own profound insecurities through the daily exchange of corporal closeness that he shares with his clients. Michael’s clientele reflects the diversity of New York itself: from a recently widowed elderly woman to a gruff Queens policeman, from a dancer whose one-night stand won’t snuggle after sex to a traumatized veteran. However, this career of compassion takes its toll on Michael: as he emotionally depletes himself giving comfort to his customers, he realizes that true intimacy is hard to find, harder to sell, and, once tapped, impossible to control. The story was published in Issue 14 of Tahoma Literary Review.

Warnecke’s fiction, poetry, and essays have appeared in publications in print and online including Tahoma Literary Review, F(r)iction, the Washington Square Review, Narratively, and the Hairpin. A nominee for the 2017 Best New Poets anthology, Warnecke’s work explores the complications of intimacy and agency, particularly those gained through trauma, and the detriments of getting what one most ardently wishes for. She lives in New York City.  

Follow on: X