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Now Playing
Shellie Zacharia's debut fiction collection
Paperback, 156 pages
Published
October 20th 2009
by Keyhole Press
(first published 2009)
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My blurb on the book:
"The characters in Shellie Zacharia's stories--usually female, always funny--enter these pages slightly perplexed by the world around them, confused and hurt by its failure to live up to their expectations. Expressed as daydreams and fantasies tainted by partially overcome regrets and past guilts, these once-high hopes are the true antagonists of these hilarious stories. Even when faced with long odds, Zacharia's characters carry on, persisting in their pursuits o...more
"The characters in Shellie Zacharia's stories--usually female, always funny--enter these pages slightly perplexed by the world around them, confused and hurt by its failure to live up to their expectations. Expressed as daydreams and fantasies tainted by partially overcome regrets and past guilts, these once-high hopes are the true antagonists of these hilarious stories. Even when faced with long odds, Zacharia's characters carry on, persisting in their pursuits o...more
It's rare to find a literary collection of short stories that's so darn readable and fun. Such is the case with Shellie Zacharia's Now Playing, her debut fiction collection. Inside you'll find stories about a kid cutting off her nose, a yard sale gone wrong, a lonely 6th grade teacher who steals a cardboard cutout of a lead singer from a music store, continuing ed sewing classes taught by a 4th grade loser, experimental disco theater,a shoplifting four-year-old, and more. Sure these stories are ...more
It is a good book, but the stories are short - very, very short - and there's just not a lot moving them in the direction of a collection. Which doesn't sound right...it is a collection, but there's a sharp, staccato feeling to the book that I didn't care for. It was hard to sink into any one piece, and the arrangement didn't lend itself to a good, long sitdown of a read.
I think I would have the book more if it had fewer pieces and a little more depth. Zacharia is a good writer; I wou...more
I think I would have the book more if it had fewer pieces and a little more depth. Zacharia is a good writer; I wou...more
Read this over the break. The stories are funny and take surprising turns. She uses interesting forms, esp letters and notes. One story, Dewey Classifies Love, uses the library shelving system to chart a librarian's ill-fated romance. And the linked stories at the beginning of the collection are all excellent.
Read my review here: http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/dailylo...
See my review posted on Potomac Review blog:
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Story collections are always second (or third) on my to-read list as I typically have trouble sticking with them, presumably because of their lack of through-line. But Zacharia's stories have heart and love and humor, which kept me reading her book from story to story. This is still available (I think) even though we've not heard much (or anything) from Keyhole Books in months and months. Certainly worth getting a copy if copies are around.
A great read. Shellie Zacharia is one of the most original writers I know.
Caitlyn Christensen
marked it as to-read
Llewellyn
marked it as to-read
Richard Chiem
marked it as to-read
Aubrey Gokey
marked it as to-read
Cindy
marked it as to-read
M
marked it as to-read
Shelly
marked it as to-read
gwen
marked it as to-read
Misa
marked it as to-read
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