Clean Freak and Other Stories is Lindsey M. Costley's first collection of nonfiction essays. The book opens with a critical introduction that situates the creative work in a tradition of comedic personal narrative. David Sedaris, Periel Aschenbrand, and Jack Driscoll include some of the influences that shape the ideas and techniques behind the essays. For example, Sedarisâ situational humor inspired essays such as âThe Penis,â in which the author describes her experience drawing nude models in an art class. The themes in the collection range from family and loss to personal growth and societal issues, such as body image and homosexuality. The title piece, âClean Freak,â encapsulates several of these themes as the author examines her own obsession with cleanliness.