Review: The Collection, ed. by Tom Léger and Riley MacLeod

Reviewed by Christina
I received a complimentary ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Published: due October 16, 2012

Full Title: The Collection: Short Fiction from the Transgender Vanguard

It's about: The unifying element of The Collection is a focus (sometimes heavy, sometimes light) on trans identity and experience.  The stories themselves are varied enough to keep things interesting; many are realist slices of life, but a few draw in elements of genre fiction, non-linear plot, and/or absurdity.  Here are a few synopses, to give you an idea of the spectrum:
In "Saving" by Carter Sickels, Dean returns to his hometown in Kentucky to clean his grandmother's home after she has moved into an elder care facility.  He deals with self-imposed guilt about "dumping" his senile grandma, fields his redneck neighbor's gender-related issues, and learns about his girlfriend's infidelity.
In "Tammy Faye" by A. Raymond Johnson, CeCe credits Tammy Faye (Bakker) Messner with instilling in CeCe the confidence to come out to her family as a woman and begin her transition.  She writes a heartfelt Thank You to Tammy Faye and receives a response.
In "Masks of a Superhero" by Mikki Whitworth, Annie struggles to balance her newly feminine identity with her former status as Captain Macho, the local superhero.
In "War With Waking Up" by Noel Arthur Heimpel, our protagonist tries to work out whether he is dating a hallucination or a ghost; they met in anatomy lab.  She was on the table, he was holding a scalpel.

BTW, if transgender topics are new for you, it might be helpful to peruse this list of vocab real quick.

I thought:  There are 28 stories here, and are all of them wonderful?  No.  Some are obvious and trite, some are boring, some just don't suit my personal tastes.  On the other hand, many are beautiful, original, funny.  I really enjoyed reading most of these pieces.  I've seen a few other reviews here and there that call The Collection uneven, but worthwhile overall.  I'll agree with that assessment.  There were only two or three that I thought could or should have been left out all together; for a fairly thick collection, that's not too shabby.

Several writers in this collection use gender-neutral pronouns!  I was delighted to see their appearance in English.  "Ze" is used in place of (s)he, "hir" in place of "him/her."  I had never seen this before, but it makes a lot of sense given the fact that some people prefer not to be labeled as either male or female.  However, one character (in Winning the Tiger, Katherine Scott Nelson) gets personally offended when a presumably uneducated carnival worker fails to recognize said neutral pronouns.  I found the scene pretty alienating as a reader; to belittle a character for failing to know something that the reader likely also doesn't know... it seems like an unwise, unsympathetic move for an author to take.  Innocent ignorance is not the same thing as hate.  The good news is that that was really the only story where I sensed an us-vs-them mentality.  Every other story in The Collection attempts to build bridges and understanding between cis and trans people.
EDIT:  Ok.  So, I've been thinking about this (and discussing it with a more enlightened friend) and have come to the conclusion that my own reaction to this exchange in "Winning the Tiger" might be indicative of some cis guilt and privilege.   I can see this passage as useful in expressing the frustration trans people feel at having to continually explain their point of view, and so yeah, I get why the author included it.

As I've mentioned before, I believe that one of the best and noblest goals of fiction is to elicit new empathy between the reader and some previously-unknown (or unconsidered) group of people.  The Collection succeeds.  Before picking it up I had only a surface-level awareness of what it might feel like to have a non-traditional relationship to gender.  But after reading this book, I have a new appreciation for the misunderstandings, heartaches, and misplaced judgements that many transgender people deal with on a near-daily basis.  I'm grateful for that, and I'm glad I read The Collection.

Verdict: Stick it on the shelf.

Reading Recommendations: If you're curious about The Collection, I have good news!  You can read one of the stories online here.  It's "A Roman Incident" by Red Durkin- one of my favorites.

Warnings: Lots of swears and some very explicit sex. 

Favorite excerpts:  From "Greenhorn" by K. Tait Jarboe: "I used to hate the futility of reducing life and the world into words and numbers, but now I feel like, I dunno, just because we use something to hurt doesn't mean it has to be a weapon."

From "Entries" by Riley Calais Harris: "Some are born gay, some achieve gayness, and some have gayness thrust upon them.  That's probably not true, but it would make a good bumper stickier."

What I'm reading next:  The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan (for A Year of Feminist Classics)

Review: My Mistress's Sparrow Is Dead, edited by Jeffrey Eugenides

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Reviewed by Christina

Full Title: My Mistress's Sparrow Is Dead: Great Love Stories, from Chekhov to Munro

Published: 2008

It's about: Jeffrey Eugenides (who is a favorite of mine, if you haven't noticed) collected a bunch of short stories about love. This is it.

I thought: Well. Since I pretty much think Mr. Eugenides is Midas, I had high hopes for this collection. Seeing so many famous stories in the table of contents ("The Lady with the Little Dog", "The Dead", "Spring in Fialta", "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love") made me even more eager to read it. And then the inclusion of "A Rose for Emily" banished any concern that it would be a cheery happy Valentine's Day-ish book.

I did enjoy revisiting those classics, as well as discovering new authors, like Deborah Eisenberg and George Saunders. The collection also gave me a chance to ponder the idea of a "love story," and whether it's possible for a good one to have a happy ending. The unifying idea, presented in the introduction, comes from two ancient Roman poems: Catallus 2 and Catallus 3. In the first, the speaker complains that his girl Lesbia's pet sparrow always comes between them. In the second, he laments that the sparrow has died and now Lesbia is overcome with sadness and therefore she is in no mood for lovin'. Eugenides argues that all love stories can be seen through the lens of these poems. Lovers are kept apart literally and/or metaphorically by symbolic sparrows and/or by the deaths of those sparrows. I loved looking for live and dead sparrows in each of these stories.

The stories themselves are quite varied- gay love, straight love, young love, old love, doomed love, charmed love (but mostly doomed). The sparrow idea gives the collection unity, and the writing itself is excellent throughout. But still, there were a couple of stories that I DESPISED. I shall name them here, so that if you come upon them you can run away: "Red Rose, White Rose" by Eileen Chang, and "Innocence" by Harold Brodkey. Both are long and boring and feature detestable sexist protagonists. Don't say I didn't warn you. But even in those cases, the style really is above reproach. If you want to take shelter in 600 pages of excellent yet varied writing, I wholeheartedly recommend My Mistress's Sparrow.

Verdict: Stick it on the shelf!

Reading Recommendations: I started reading this around Valentine's Day, thinking it would be appropriate. It's really not a bunch of prototypical romantic stories, though, so there's no reason to wait until next February to pick it up.

Warnings: lots of swears, lots of graphic sex scenes (including a 20-pager! Wowza!)

Favorite excerpts: I'd like to quote pretty much the entire introduction, but I'll try to limit myself. Here's one favorite part-
"It is perhaps only in reading a love story (or in writing one) that we can simultaneously partake of the ecstasy and agony of being in love without paying a crippling emotional price. I offer this book, then, as a cure for lovesickness and an antidote to adultery. Read these love stories in the safety of your single bed. Let everybody else suffer."

And from "Some Other, Better Otto"-
"Why did he need so many things in his life, Otto wondered; why did all these things have to be so special? Special, beautiful plates; special, beautiful furniture; special, beautiful everything. And all that specialness, it occurred to him, intended only to ensure that no one- especially himself- could possibly underestimate his value. Yet it actually served to illustrate how corroded he was, how threadbare his native resources, how impoverished his discourse with everything that lived and was human."

What I'm reading next: Empire Falls by Richard Russo (for the Dead End Follies book club!)

Review: The Other Side by E. Thomas Finan

Reviewed by Christina
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Published: 2010

It's about: This is Finan's debut collection of short stories. In many of the stories, characters are examining their lives as they contemplate major changes. One woman looks inward as her extramarital affair spoils. A twenty-eight-year old wonders why his life has fallen flat. A young migraine-sufferer makes a strange discovery. A nihilist makes an unlikely friend on a bus trip to Key West.

I thought: This was a very quick read. It's a slim volume and I read almost the whole thing in one sitting. I found it well-suited to such a reading. It kept my attention through the gearshifts that happened with each new story, but the collection as a whole still felt cohesive. There are some really good recurring themes: silence, change, uncertainty.

The writing is excellent, though something about the style seems a little... overthought? Maybe a tad too intentional for my taste? I'm sorry, I know those ideas are vague and unhelpful. Even though the subject matter is generally rooted in real life, these stories felt like stories in a way that I didn't really like.

Verdict: In-between.

Reading Recommendations: Read it in one sitting! Or, you know, split it up. Short stories are so accommodating that way.

Warnings: Uh, I don't know. I sorta forgot to watch out for stuff. Maybe a couple of swears? Sex is mentioned in passing. Nothing too shocking.

What I'm reading next: Exiled by Helene Holt. My grandfather lent it to me because it's about one of our ancestors. Fun times!

Review: Dance of the Happy Shades by Alice Munro

Reviewed by Christina

Published: 1968

It's about: This is Alice Munro's first collection of short stories. It has several recurring elements: fox farming, teenage humiliation, a town called Jubilee. The stories all take place in rural or suburban Canada.
The collection is named for the last story, which gets its title from a beautiful piece of music from Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice.

I thought: I've been curious about Alice Munro for a while, since several choosy readers I know have praised her. I have to agree with them- she is a fantastic writer. She has this way of expressing, beautifully, thoughts and feelings that I thought were unique to me. (Check out the favorite excerpt below for an example.) I love when I get that kind of brain-wave connection with an author.

I think one thing that lets her writing stand out is the understatement of plot. There are a few surprises in Happy Shades, but most of the stories describe fairly mundane events. The characters, and especially the relationships between them, really shine. In this way, and in her focus on poor, working folk, Munro reminds me a little of Raymond Carver. Though she's not such a minimalist. And, to be totally honest, I haven't read much Raymond Carver so I could be totally off with that connection.

Despite my respect for Alice Munro and my desire to read more of her stories, I don't really feel very excited about this collection. I thought it was excellent and I wouldn't change it in any way. So why don't I have the urge to shout it from the rooftops and recommend it to everyone I know?

Verdict: Despite my own uncharacteristic lack of enthusiasm, I really believe this collection is beyond reproach. So Stick it on the shelf!

Reading Recommendations: I think this would be a good one to pick up right after you've finished something with disappointingly poor writing.

Warnings: nothing I can remember

Favorite excerpts: "Oh, wasn't it strange, how in your imagination, when you stood up for something, your voice rang, people started, abashed; but in real life they all smiled in rather a special way and you saw that what you had really done was serve yourself up as a conversational delight for the next coffee party." (from "The Shining Houses")

What I'm reading next: Wallflower by Holly-Jane Rahlens

Review: Quarantine, by Rahul Mehta

Reviewed by Christina
[I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.]

Published: 2011

It's about: In this debut collection of short stories, Rahul Mehta explores identity and relationships, usually from the point of view of young, gay, Indian-American men.

I thought: I loved it. I love Rahul Mehta. I think he is fantastic. He's funny and sensitive and insightful. His smooth, clever, wholly believable dialogue is PERFECT.

I feel silly admitting this now that I know these stories, but when I started this book I worried that I wouldn't be able to relate to them. I am not gay, not male, not of South Asian descent. I also worried that I would get tired of reading about this fairly small, specific population. I was totally wrong to worry about those things- Rahul Mehta writes these vibrant, incredibly varied characters who each have heartbreakingly real stories to tell. And the issues they deal with in their romantic and platonic and familial relationships are universal: the difficulty of relating to our grandparents, the awkwardness of having a less fortunate friend, the trouble with knowing how and when to let go of a relationship.

I read a goodreads review of this collection that complained about too much recurring autobiographical material. Many of the men in these stories grew up in West Virginia. They live in New York City at some point and move upstate later. They've been back to India to visit relatives. I'm sure Mehta gathered some (or all) of those experiences from his own life. But I didn't mind that; I think that's why the book rang true. And I rather liked looking for the common life events that the characters shared across different stories.

I hope I'll have a chance to read more from this author. I love his style. He deserves to be read.

Verdict: Stick it on the shelf!

Reading Recommendations: This reminded me a little of another wonderful collection, Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies.

Warnings: A fair share of pretty explicit sexual material. If you're uncomfortable with sexuality, this book is not for you.

Favorite excerpts:
(from "What We Mean")
This year, one of our old friends, Becky, has brought along a new girlfriend, Laura, whom none of us likes. Becky is a writer and Laura is an artist. At the beginning of every month, Laura presents Becky with a blank book she has made by hand. At the end of the month, Becky returns the book to Laura, full of poems. They have been doing this every month for the seven months they have been dating.
I think it's a bad idea.
In the car on our way to the beach, I ask Becky and Laura, "What happens when a month goes by and no one feels like making a book? Or what if someone has a busy month at work or falls ill? Or what if someone runs out of inspiration and has nothing to write about?" To emphasize my point, I start singing "You Don't Bring Me Flowers Anymore."
Becky looks at Laura and says, "That won't happen."
"But what if it does?" I ask
Becky says, "It won't."
"But what if it does?"
Laura says, "Even if it does, maybe it would be for the best. At least there'd be a sign that there is a problem. There is nothing worse than stumbling along, with everyone knowing the relationship is over except you."

What I'm reading next: The Help by Kathryn Stockett (please oh please, live up to all the hype!)

Review: New Crossroads by Suhail Ali

Reviewed by Ingrid

Published: 2010

It's about: New Crossroads is a collection of light-hearted short stories about the new generation in India, each exploring the disjunction and ruptures between the older, more traditional generations and the younger generation eager to embrace emerging technologies. From the back of the book - "The short tales in New Crossroads capture the mood of a society in transition and reflect on an emerging consciousness shaped by rapid and fascinating social changes."

I thought: I LOVED this collection of stories. They were succinct, straightforward and subtly funny. I was charmed by the writing style, which sounded very much like the particular way Indians speak English. (Makes sense since Suhail Ali himself is Indian.)

Speaking of the author, he grew up in India but eventually moved to California where he now lives with his family. He explains in his introduction that as he periodically returns to India on vacation, each time he notices significant changes from the India he had grown up in. I thought Suhail Ali was in the perfect position to write these stories - he is enough of in insider to know the culture very well, but also far enough removed to notice changes both subtle and dramatic.

I should point out that before I began reading, I was worried that I wouldn't grasp the full significance of this book since I'm not Indian. Luckily I was very wrong. I imagine that this book would be especially interesting to Indian readers, however its themes are universal as to be accessible and enjoyable to readers who aren't as familiar with Indian culture. The footnotes at the bottom explaining Indian words and cultural concepts were also especially helpful and interesting.

This was a great first book from Suhail Ali and I definitely look forward to reading more from him in the future.

Verdict: Stick it on the shelf.

Reading Recommendations: This is a great read for anyone interested in contemporary Indian culture.

Warnings: None.

Favorite excerpts:

Other than books, the only other passion Swamy had was movies. And to the surprise of the few friends he had, Swamy loved action movies. Maybe it was an outlet for his repressed, adventure-less childhood. Swamy had great fascination for lone ranger action heroes. James Bond, Jackie Chan, and Batman movies were among his favorites, but the one action hero closest to his heart was Clint Eastwood. Swamy never missed any movie that Clint Eastwood acted in and even tried to adopt his distinctive mannerisms without being obvious about it. A careful observer could make out these clumsy imitations, but it largely escaped the notice of the people around him as Hollywood movies were not popular with the mainstream.

What I'm reading next: Marcel Proust: A Life by William C. Carter. Woo!

*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. 

Review: Celebrity Chekhov, adapted and celebritized by Ben Greenman

Reviewed by Christina

Published: 2010

It's about: In this collection of stories, Ben Greenman has placed modern-day celebrities in famous short stories by 19th-century writer Anton Chekhov. The cover has a sort of tagline that sums it up: "Classic stories... now with famous people!"

I thought: When I first heard about this book on the radio, months ago, I was amused and intrigued by the cleverness of the idea. So I was super excited when my in-laws gave me the collection for Christmas. And it was mildly amusing and sometimes oddly poignant, but I didn't adore the book as a whole as much as I had hoped I would.

Maybe I would have enjoyed Celebrity Chekhov more if I'd been a bigger fan of Chekhov to begin with. I've never read his stories, and this probably isn't the best way to be introduced to them. They're pretty melodramatic, almost all of the characters extremely emotional and/or on the brink of a nervous breakdown. Not really my style. The dialogue seemed dated, which actually worked beautifully in this situation. I loved the absurd idea of our modern celebrities speaking in exchanges like this:

"Nicole," cried [Paris Hilton] on seeing [Nicole Richie]. "Is it you? My dear girl! How many summers, how many winters!"
"Holy saints!" cried the short woman in amazement. "Paris! The friend of my childhood! Where have you dropped from?"

Haha! I just don't usually attribute a very high level of articulation or intelligence to most celebrities, so I liked the dialogue in most of these stories.

The back of the book claims that Greenman's experiment in adaptation has "oddly ennobling" results, and I'm not sure I'd take it that far. I will say that these stories humanize celebrities in a way that talk show interviews, award speeches, and taboids do not. Chekhov's characters have complex motivations and relationships, and we don't usually see that depth in actors, singers, and athletes. Ubiquitous as they are, none of us really know them. Even though these stories are fictional and only loosely related to events in celebrities' lives, they did make me consider those famous people more closely for a moment.

I'd love to hear a review from someone who knows the original stories. In fact, I'd be happy to loan out my copy of Celebrity Chekhov to somebody who really knows Mr. Anton, if that person would be willing to share his/her thoughts. Any takers?

Verdict: In between. Fairly entertaining, but not a "must read" or anything.

Reading Recommendations: I read the first few of these stories aloud to my husband in the car. Most of them are very short and well-suited to that situation. When I started reading them straight through on my own, I grew bored and tired of the gimmick. So I'd recommend reading these in small handfuls.

Warnings: One surprising and debasing sex act.

Favorite excerpts: Kim Kardashian shares the news of her new-found celebrity status in a story called "Joy":
"Kim Kardashian, with excited face and ruffled hair, flew into her family's house and hurriedly ran through all the rooms. Her parents had already gone to bed. Her sisters were awake, trying on lingerie. Her stepbrother was looking at himself in the mirror.
'Where have you come from?' her sister Khloe cried in amazement. 'What is the matter with you?'
'Oh, don't ask! I never expected it; no, I never expected it! It's positively incredible!'
Kim laughed and sank into an armchair, so overcome by happiness that she could not stand on her legs.
'It's incredible! You can't imagine! Look!'
Her other sister, Kourtney, threw a quilt around her and went in to fetch their stepbrother Brody. he came into the room, holding a hand mirror. Within a moment Kim's parents were in the room as well.
'What's the matter?' her mother said. 'You don't look like yourself!'
'It's because I am so happy. The whole world knows me! The whole world! Until now only you knew that there was a girl called Kim Kardashian, and now the whole world knows it! Mama! Thank heavens!'"

What I'm reading next: Still Life with Brass Pole by Craig Machen

Review: The Boat by Nam Le

Reviewed by Lucia

Published: 2008

It's about: This is a collection of several short stories by Vietnamese author Le, who later migrated to Australia. The settings of the stories however, trek across multitude of countries and cities, and are, at times, seemingly autobiographical. Spanning several decades, Le dabbles in a variety of times, cultures, and emotions.

I thought: This book is beautiful. Not necessarily that I found the characters
likable or the story enjoyable, but Nam Le's language is unparalleled. I enjoyed the book most as a whole, when I allowed myself to simply appreciate the story for the language and the emotions of the characters.

Le's style is captivating. The way in which the author manipulates the prose to build landscapes and create emotions is very unique, and I enjoyed the novel relying solely on these elements. At times Le's bluntness is startling but fresh. I find that I have read many short stories whose author's build them up singularly on the evocation of the character's emotion, which can become monotonous. Yet Le's sharp truths come precisely when required.

One of my favorite stories was Waiting For Elise, about an ill and aging
painter, mourning the loss of his lover and the daughter he doesn't know. The
structure Le has pieced together such that the reader discovers the narrating
character's past slowly but not lethargically. Somehow, impossibly, the voice
of the story is unbiased towards the situation of the narrating character. I
believe that this reflects the title of the story, in that the central character is waiting as opposed to actually doing, and he knows this. I think the reader can sympathise with this because at the heart of the story is a commonly felt fear.

Verdict: Stick it on the shelf.

Reading Recommendations: Nam Le's website is quite interesting.

Warnings: None.

Favorite excerpts: Just read the book, its worth it.

What I'm reading next: Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf.

Review: Girl with Curious Hair, by David Foster Wallace

Reviewed by Christina

Published: 1989

It's about: This is a collection of ten short stories.
"Little Expressionless Animals" is about a love affair between a "Jeopardy!" researcher and a contestant. "John Billy" is a tall tale about how a small-town demigod's life jumped the rails. "Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way" is about an M.F.A. writing program and a reunion for everyone who ever appeared in a MacDonalds commercial. The stories vary widely in content and themes, but several of them feature real-life characters, like Alex Trebec, Lyndon B. Johnson, and David Letterman. None of the stories are told from these celebrities' point of view, but they are important characters.

I noted a few recurring plot elements in this book that David Foster Wallace also explored in A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again, his collection of essays that I read and loved about a year ago. They include literary criticism and theory, television, and the Midwest (especially Illinois, DFW's home state).

I thought: I set myself up for disappointment here. I loved A Supposedly Fun Thing so much, and I was also fascinated by Although of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself, which is basically a transcript of David Lipsky's weekend spent with David Foster Wallace in 1996. I really, really like this writer, and I felt sure that I was going to adore his fiction.

And I did like some of the stories in this book. Some of them very much. "Here and There" is the clever, simple, and sad story of a relationship and subsequent breakup, told exclusively through dialogue without any "he said" and "she said" tags. I was extremely impressed by how fully the characters were developed in such an unorthodox format, and by how much momentum the piece had despite a rather ordinary storyline. "Everything is Green" was possibly my favorite of all. It's less than two pages long. Every word is purposeful and important and the effect is beautiful.

A few of the stories are told in the first person and feature misspellings and misused words. I'm not sure I've ever encountered this device before. It's as if we are reading another person's writing rather than hearing his thoughts or listening to him speak. I liked it.

In general, all the things I love about DFW's style are here. I love the smattering of medical/physiological adjectives he uses ("eidetic", "neurasthetic", "coccyx-punishing"). I love his cleverness. I love the specific, unconventional descriptions. He is a fantastic writer. But most of the stories didn't blow me away; I really only loved two of the ten. "Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way" is the longest story (it's basically a novella) and it has almost no plot. My respect for Mr. Wallace's writing alone couldn't keep my attention for the full 140 pages.

But I really HATED (and I mean HATED) the repulsive, disorientingly disturbing title story. HATED. And yes, I know that that is the point. It's told from the P.O.V. of a young, rich, sick Republican, and catalogs the various hideous things he and his punkrock friends do for kicks. I know that it's an exercise in absurdity, and I guess the goal was to produce a visceral reaction in the reader. So it's a success on all counts. But, well, one rotten apple can spoil the barrel. And that was the case here, maybe because it's the title story. Every time I look at this book, that is the story that comes to mind.

Verdict: In Between. I think I like David Foster Wallace himself more than I like his stories.

Reading Recommendations: Check out his essays!
You can download .pdfs of a bunch of his Harper's pieces here, including my favorite from this collection, "Everything Is Green." It might be slightly different from the version in the collection, but probably pretty close.

Warnings: MAJOR swears in a couple of them. Sex and violence in a few, too.

Favorite excerpts:
"D.L. was severely thin, thin in a way that suggested not delicacy but a kind of stinginess about how much of herself she'd extend to the space around her. Thin the way mean nuns are thin. She walked funny, with the pelvis-led posture of a man at a urinal; she carried her arms either wrapped around her chest or out and down at a scarecrow's jangly right angles; she was slatternly and exuded pheromones apparently attractive only to bacteria; she had a fatal taste for: 1) polyester; 2) pantsuits; 3) lime green."
(opening paragraph of "Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way")

"I was convinced I could sing like a wire at Kelvin, high and pale, burn without ignition or friction, shine as cool as a lemony moon, mated to a lattice of pure meaning. Interferenceless transfer. But a small, quiet, polite, scented, neatly ordered system of new signals has somehow shot me in the head. With words and tears she has amputated something from me. I gave her the intimate importance of me, and her bus pulled away, leaving something key of mine inside her like the weapon of a bee. All I want to do now is drive very away, to bleed."
(from "Here and There")

"Was me supposed to tell Simple Ranger how Chuck Nunn Junior done wronged the man that wronged him and fleen to parts unguessed. Brought up the Ranger to date on Chuck and Mona May Nunn's boy Chuck Junior, closest thing to handsome and semi-divine we got here in Minogue Oklahoma, good luck bad luck man, who everything that hit him stuck and got valuable, but on whom of this late time the vicissitudes of human relatings had wrought grief and retinal aggravation to such a extreme that C. Nunn Jr. lost his temper to a nameless despair and got him some vengeance."
(opening paragraph of "John Billy")


What I'm reading next: The Cider House Rules, by John Irving
(After so many in-betweeners lately, I feel the need for something I'm almost sure I'll love: John Irving.)

Hint Fiction

Post by Christina

Ernest Hemingway, on a bet, said that he could write a short story in less than ten words. Here's what he came up with: "For sale: baby shoes, never worn."

Let's set aside the fact that there's a good chance this anecdote about Hemingway never really happened. What's important is the six-word story's function as the inspiration for a new form called Hint Fiction. A few weeks ago I heard this NPR piece. It's an interview with Robert Swartwood, who compiled a collection of short stories, each 25 words max. Despite my initial skepticism, I was surprised by the emotional punch of a few of the stories Swartwood read. Here's my favorite, Golden Years by Edith Pearlman:
"She: Macular. He: Parkinson's. She pushing, he directing, they get down the ramp, across the grass, through the gate. The wheels roll riverwards."
Ah! It's amazing that that really is a complete story in itself. I don't believe that's the case for every story in the collection. Here's one that sounds like a setup or opening for a really great traditional story or novel. Dickie by Minter Krotzer:
"Everyone in town went to the same gynecologist, Dickie. Even Dickie's sister went to Dickie. No one thought this was strange except for the out-of-towners."
See what I mean? I like it, but I think it's a stretch to call it a story in itself. There are also some that are more like jokes than stories, like David Joseph's Polygamy:
"I miss her more than
the others."
Very clever, but is it really a story?
I'm not gonna lie, these teeny tiny stories intrigue me, and I'd like to read more of them. I've got Swartwood's collection on my wishlist. I haven't talked to anyone about this yet- I've just been stewing in my own thoughts. What do you think?
Is hint fiction a symptom of our internet-age urge for immediate satisfaction? Does it have the potential to contribute to this urge?
Is Hint Fiction a brand new art form, or just a glorified writer's exercise?
How is Hint Fiction not poetry?

A couple of related links:
Robert Swartwood himself wrote about the idea behind Hint Fiction here, and here's his Hint Fiction homepage. If you'd like to try your hand at writing a six-word memoir, you can do so here.

Halloween Week: Roald Dahl and a Spooktacular Giveaway!

Posted by Connie

It's Monday, October 25th, and today begins our Halloween week countdown! Every day this week, we'll be comin' at you with a Halloween themed post and lots of suggestions for readings to add a bit of horror to your week.

I'm kicking things off today with one of my favorite horror stories --

Roald Dahl's "Lamb to the Slaughter." 

Photo courtesy of Alana

Ever since I read this gem in middle school, it has stuck with me... perhaps even some nights when I haven't wanted it to. Dahl centers his story around an all-too-eager housewife, sitting and waiting, counting down the minutes until her husband gets home. But when he has some bad news for her, this housewife goes a little beyond nutty.

The story is pretty short, very simple, and incredibly twisted. It's that weird horror story that by the (perfect) final line, you are feeling simultaneously uncomfortable and oddly pleased. If you have a penchant for the strange, this story will certainly satisfy.

And guess what? You can read the full text here for free.

PLUS this week, in honor of Halloween, we here at the Blue Bookcase are hosting a giveaway as part of the Spooktacular Giveaway Hop! What, you ask, are we giving away?

Edgar Allan Poe: Complete Tales and Poems (hardcover)

including all your favorites such as:

The Murder in the Rue Morgue
The Fall of the House of Usher
The Tell-Tale Heart
The Black Cat
The Cask of Amontillado
The Pit and the Pendulum (one of my favorites)
The Raven

and many, many, MANY more!

Here's how to enter:

Follow this blog on Google Friend Connect or Twitter, then fill out the form below

Bonus entries:

Tweet about this contest +1 (up to 5 points if on different days)

Blog about this contest +3

Comment on another post on our blog +1 (up to 3; must be new comments)

The giveaway ends at 11:59 pm on Halloween, October 31st

International submissions welcome

Check out these other great giveaways, too!

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

Reviewed by Connie


Published: 1999, won the Pulitzer Prize in 2000

It's about: A collection of short stories that examine marriage and culture, this book jumps back and forth from the United States to India.  Each short story is a short, insightful peek into another marital issue, another cross-cultural issue, another human issue.  It includes many of Lahiri's famous works like "Sexy," "Interpreter of Maladies," and "Mrs. Sen's."

I thought: This book is incredibly pleasant to read.  That sounds strange, when most of the short stories are about failed marriages and relationships, but Lahiri has a talent for prose that brings a warm and fuzzy kind of quality to her writing.  You feel at home in it.  That being said, the issues it addresses are done so skilfully and movingly.  Personally, my favorite story was the first -- "A Temporary Matter," which leads through a marriage from being lost in grief, to the shining hope of reconciliation, and then to a beautifully perfect ending that I won't ruin.  And, since I'm not feeling very loquacious today, that's all I'm going to say about that.

Verdict: Stick it on the shelf.

Reading Recommendations: One of the glories of a short story collection is that you can take however long you want to read it.  You can do so one story at a time, or sit down and read the whole book at once, because the stories do have common threads weaving it together in a carefully ordered progression.

Warnings: Aside from one story that tells in vague terms the life of a mistress, there's nothing to be wary of in this book.

Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut

Since we are having so much fun discussing short stories, I thought I'd let you know about one of my favorite short stories, Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut, author of Slaughterhouse-Five (which, by the way, I will review soon for your pleasure)

Published:1961

It's about: "Harrison Bergeron" is a short narrative about a dystopian society in which the government has made everybody equal --  meaning, as dumb as the dumbest person, as weak as the weakest person, as ugly as the ugliest person -- by placing handicaps to prevent people from having an advantage over one another.  And then there is Harrison, who has more handicaps than anyone alive and continues to outgrow them.

I thought: Though the story is short and simple, it is incredibly intriguing to me (and I'm not big into sci fi).  I read it for a class in 7th grade, I think, and it has always stuck with me.  It's funny (Harrison's mom doesn't need ANY handicaps), it's thought-provoking, and it has images that get burned into your skull, in the pleasentest and most pensive way possible.  Oh yeah, and it's like a five minute read and can be read here, online. 

Verdict: Stick it on the shelf!

Reading Recommendations: Read it whenever you have a couple of spare minutes?  Seriously, it's so short.


Warnings: Nothing to be afraid of in this one.  Unless you're afraid of the government.  If that's the case, then be very, very afraid.

Favorite excerpts:  Here's the beginning:

THE YEAR WAS 2081, and everybody was finally equal. They weren't only equal before God and the law. They were equal every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else. All this equality was due to the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution, and to the unceasing vigilance of agents of the United States Handicapper General.
Some things about living still weren't quite right, though. April for instance, still drove people crazy by not being springtime. And it was in that clammy month that the H-G men took George and Hazel Bergeron's fourteen-year-old son, Harrison, away.

The Dead by James Joyce

Oh hey everyone, just here to add my magnet to the refrigerator front of short stories. If we're talking short stories, I'm offering you up my favorite today--and the best part is, it's available to read online!

Published:1914

It's about: Gabriel Conroy, a well-liked, pleasant man in his community, attends a social dinner gathering and ends the snowy night by coming to what Joyce called an epiphany. That's all I'll say. Oh, and his wife's name is Gretta.

I thought: Part of Dubliners, a collection of equally awesome short stories, this tale leaves me ready to write pages and pages whenever I'm done reading it. Really, it's that good.This is a pretty common read for English majors, assigned by many professors. It's really long, novella-like, and if you haven't read it (which I'm assuming you already have) I really suggest that you do. And don't worry--if you've tried to stumble through Ulysses or other equally confusing books/stories of Joyce's, I promise that this short story is the opposite of confusing. It's beautiful, poetic, and psssst--you can read it online. Did I mention that before?


I have the last two paragraphs of this story memorized. See if they goosebump you.

Verdict: Stick it on the shelf or Rubbish Bin? SHELFSHELF

Reading Recommendations: Mortality is a central theme in this tale, so if you're looking for hopping bunnies and mystical musical purple singing unicorns and shiny pink babies, go read something else. But read this instead.

Warnings: Nada.
Favorite excerpts: 

"The morning was still dark. A dull, yellow light brooded over the houses and the river; and the sky seemed to be descending. It was slushy underfoot; and only streaks and patches of snow lay on the roofs, on the parapets of the quay and on the area railings. The lamps were still burning redly in the murky air and, across the river, the palace of the Four Courts stood out menacingly against the heavy sky."




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Past Perfect, Present Tense by Richard Peck

Reviewed by Liesl 

Published: 2006

It's about: A collection of short stories by Richard Peck. He divides the stories up according to the genre they fit into: the first short story he ever wrote, the past (think early 20th century), the supernatural, and the present. He details his experience of writing short stories and how some of his short stories led to his novels; take, for instance, Grandma Dowdel from A Long Way From Chicago and A Year Down Yonder. He also has a small chapter on how to write short stories and what questions one should ask when writing them.

I thought: What an entertaining read! What I love about Richard Peck's writing is that each of his characters have a distinct voice about them, whether it's Blossom Culp's eccentric (and slightly disgusting) personality or Grandma Dowdel's deadpan. I love voice. It's a fabulous way to show off the character's personality, by the things they notice, the slang they use, and their perspective on life. I liked his chapter on writing short stories as well, because it had a good prompt and advice about writing without resorting to a specific formula. (Slight tangent: I often feel that writers (and perhaps artists as well) too often give advice on writing without realizing that the reader might do it differently; that their method isn't completely foolproof. As in, I sometimes feel like all writing instruction books should say: "This is what worked for me, although it might not work for you." Okay, that's all)

Verdict: Stick it on the shelf! Or at least on the table by the bed, or maybe in the bathroom to pass time.


Reading Recommendations: To read it? Honestly, these short stories are good enough to read all at once, or perhaps one per day (in my case, I read them at work to pass time). Doesn't matter. Just read it. Enjoy it. Crave it.


Warnings: Nothing bad, as far as I can tell. Peck is a children's book author, anyway, so there's nothing to worry about, unless you find yourself easily spooked by the short "scary" stories. Believe me, they aren't frightening.

Favorite excerpts: I won't give you any excerpts (seeing as I don't really have access to the book anyway), but I will tell you some of my favorite titles: Priscilla and the Wimps, The Special Powers of Blossom Culp, Shotgun Cheatham's Last Night Above Ground, and my ultimate favorite: Fluffy the Gangbuster.

Short Stories

My most recent literary obsession: The Short Story. I love that short stories are like little literary snacks I can pop into my mouth before I go to bed. I've been dabbing into many different collections, including but not limited to: The Best Short Stories of 2009, Our Story Begins by Tobias Wolf, Close Range: Wyoming Stories by Annie Proulx, Nine Stories by JD Salinger, Stories by Anton Chekhov.

This new interest stemmed from my listening to a certain podcast "Entitled Opinions (On Life and Literature.)" In this particular episode, Stanford professor and host Robert Harrison interviews contemporary American author Tobias Wolf. They discuss (among other things) the art of the short story & Wolf's work within the genre.

Here is an excerpt of Robert Harrison's introduction to the episode.

"Michelangelo says on the art of sculpture [assumedly Harrison's translation]: 'The best artist has no conception that a block of marble, still unworked, does not already contain within its own excess. And that conception is brought out by the hand that obeys the intellect.'

He continues,

When I read a good short story ... I have the impression that the block of marble is a potential novel that the author attacks with his pen, removing all that would be superfluous in that novel, until he arrives at the quintessential conception at the heart of the matter, which now comes forth as a decisively sculpted, highly condensed work of art. There is nothing more that the author either could add or remove without comprising the stories perfect distillation of its essential narrative content. When you have this degree of distillation in the work of art, it calls for an equal degree of concentration, or attention to detail, on behalf of the person who sets out to read it. For it is not only the author who gives the story to the reader, it is the reader who gives the story its meaning. For where would that meaning take place if there were no readers to make sense of the words in which it is contained?"

I have a few issues to take up with Dr. Harrison here. First of all, and perhaps most importantly, I would politely set aside that fact that I find Dr. Harrison's persona to be almost unbearably pompous and self important. Secondly, my first point: I believe what he says of the short story being a "perfectly distilled novel" discredits the novel itself. The novel is also a distillation, just of a greater pool of original material. That is to say, though there may be more material within a novel, none of it is there just to fill in space. If details are superfluous or just exist to titilate the reader, the work should not be considered "good literature." Within a work of art, whatever the medium or scale, every element is essential to justify the beauty of the whole.

This relates to my next point. I believe that every great work of literature can stand alone in its greatness and does not need the reader to project his or her own meaning on to it. True, the work does, in a sense, need a reader so as not only to exist as a series of markings on a page. But, I believe that more often than not, the reader falls short in obtaining the fullness of the work. For while the reader may comprehend the direct meaning of the words, it is not guaranteed that they will comprehend the complete depth of meaning contained within the interaction of every single element. Dr. Harrison believes that to scale these depths calls for a "deep concentration and attention to detail." It seems to me he is assuming that solely in deep concentration and attention to detail the reader will gain an understanding equal to the depth of work put into the writing of the novel, which, in my opinion, can and must never be assumed. To understand this is to have healthy respect for art.

This is also the value of a book blog such as this one. Any person with a basic understanding of how literature works has something legitimate to say that others may not have thought about. Whether they are a published professor in the department of French and Italian at Stanford or not, everyone has a different experience in the world and thus their own "Entitled Opinion." It is through deep concentration, attention to detail, as well as open discussion and respect for the work that readers come closer to understanding the depth of a great work of literature.

So, in this light, I hope that you, dear reader, will become more engaged in the literary conversation here at The Blue Bookcase. What do YOU think of the art of the short story? What are some of your favorite short stories or short story collections?

Though I may disagree with Harrison's view of the short story, I did very much enjoy listening to the episode of the podcast. It even convinced me to go pick up Tobias Wolf's Our Story Begins the very next day. I encourage you all to listen to this podcast which is available for free download on iTunes.

You can also see a list of some of my recent favorite short stories on my blog.

I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley

Reviewed by Chioma

Published: 2008.

It's about: This book is a collection of personal essays written by Sloane Crosley, a publicist who lives in New York City (among her clients are Dave Eggers, Toni Morrison and Joan Didion). While a book about her experience with those authors and the fabulous NYC life would be interesting, these essays are more down-to-earth. Her stories range from focusing on the difficulties of having a unique name in "Bastard Out of Westchester" (I can relate!), navigating old friendships in "You on a Stick", and dealing with old gifts from ex-boyfriends in "The Pony Problem (who can't relate?)

I thought: Her sassy, smart personality comes out strongly in her writing. She actually makes a story about losing her wallet interesting ("The Beauty of Strangers"). The stories are written as though Sloane (I figure I can refer to her by her first name) is an older sister or friend who is telling you her post-college stories in a clever and hilarious way. Each story is true to life and funny.

Verdict: In-Between. Like most funny things, it really depends on your sense of humor. I'd probably borrow it from a library or read excerpts from her website before purchasing it. I think her humor is one that some people might not like. Also her audience is more geared towards young adult women. Not sure how well males would relate to this book. As well, I'm not sure women in my mother's age group could relate to the stories either. But I certainly enjoyed it.

Reading Recommendations: You don't need to read the stories all in one sitting. Although I would read them in order because some stories are self-referencing.

Warnings: As a New Yorker, she occasionally peppers her stories with the a-word, s-word and a few f-words. There are allusions to sleeping with guys and some light innuendos, but nothing graphic. However, I would skip "One-Night Bounce" (a story about Sloane's pursuits of one-night stands). One story, "F-You Columbus" is actually a pretty good one despite the title. I would say the book is similar to a PG-13 rated chick flick.

Favorite excerpts: The day I get shot…will in all likelihood be the day before laundry Sunday and the day after I decided to clean out my closet, got bored halfway through, and opted to watch sitcoms in my prom dress instead.

Perhaps it's simply that niceness has always been New York's best-kept secret, kept quiet to keep the tourists out, like how it really don't rain all that much in Seattle.

Number of times I have received an email with my name spelled incorrectly in response to an e-mail originating from me and therefore making use of the correct spelling of my name and thus have passive-aggressively retaliated by leaving off the last letter of the sender's name in all future correspondence: 32. "Thanks for getting back to me, Rebecc."

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

Reviewed by Connie

Published: 1990

It's about:  A short story cycle based on O'Brien's experiences, The Things They Carried follows the adventures of one platoon of American soldiers in Vietnam.  It tells of the horrors and beauties of war, its implications on society, and the effects on the individual.  However, this book is more than that -- it is a story about stories, a self-conscious narrative about the difficult, therapeutic, and necessary writing process.

I thought: This is my favorite book I have read in months.  It is not a book about war; it is a book that examines and exposes the human condition.  It is beautifully crafted in a non-linear format but with consistent characters who are real, funny, representative, and memorable: Henry Dobbins, who wears his girlfriend's pantyhose around his head as a sort of talisman; Kiowa who hauls his moccasins and his illustrated New Testament;  Ted Lavender, who always has a stash of marijuana.

O'Brien rightly focuses on the "story-truth" of the war, not the "happening-truth."  In other words, he recognizes that truth sometimes resides more in emotion than in fact, and this work of fiction is a tribute to that idea.

He writes not only about the war, but he also writes about writing and examines the process we must all go through to cope with our pasts.  It was an enjoyable, relatively fast read, a moving and beautiful piece of art that forces us to examine our own histories and the people we've known and the things we've carried.

Verdict: Stick it on the shelf!  Stick 3 copies on the shelf!

Reading Recommendations: As this is a short-story cycle with a non-linear plot line, I would recommend reading this in one to two sittings for most enjoyment.  Also, if you are looking for a straight-up factual account of the Vietnam war, don't bother with this book, because it will probably make you angry.


Warning: As this is a war story, it is at times true to the cliché that soldiers have some nasty language.  I didn't think there was an excess of it, but there are several "f bombs."  Also, as is the nature of a war story, there are some mature themes, including death and a girl who wears a necklace of tongues.