David Schwinghammer's Blog - Posts Tagged "thematic"
Beautiful Days
Joyce Carol Oates has published thirty short story collections since 1963. She is one of our most renowned short story writers and one of our most versatile writers period.
BEAUTIFUL DAYS includes eleven short stories of varying length. Most often you will not be able to finish one in one sitting, but that just may be me. “Big Burnt” is the first one to give me pause. It's about a man who asks a woman, but not necessary “The woman” to accompany him on a speed boat in inclement weather on the way to the inlet “Big Burnt”. She really likes him and wants to impress him; she doesn't complain when he goes too fast. She doesn't know he's contemplating suicide; his wife has left him and his business is in trouble. So . . . will he or won't he?
I guess my favorite story among the eleven is “Except You Bless Me”. The Narrator is “Ms. Rane” a writing teacher. Her antagonist is Larissa Wikawaaya who has been writing the narrator nasty notes, calling her “hag lady and white bitch.” Larissa has an appointment to speak to the narrator during office hours. Eventually they go over Larissa's latest assignment line by line and Larissa seems to be attentive and cooperative; she needs to pass Composition 101 in order to get into nursing school. When she leaves, she starts to cry. “Ms. Rane” takes her hand and leads her down the stairs. She thinks they've made progress, but Larissa never shows up in class again. Years later the narrator meats Larissa again, but she calls herself Bettina. Helen Raine has an appointment to have blood work done and Larissa/Bettina will draw the blood, but she can't find a vein. Helen feels faint, but Larissa/Bettina treats her like a dentist treats a five-year-old; she finds and a vein and professionally draws three vials of blood. Tit for tat?
Some of Oates' stories are perplexing, as is “Fractal”; a mother is taking her genius son to the fractal museum. Oliver is only nine, but he's already decided he wants to be an architect; he studies blueprints like other kids study comic books. He's looking for hidden spaces. He finds one in his roomsand dares his mother to find him once he has time to hide. She can't. Then he appears as she sits on the bed frustrated. The fractal museum is a weird building. It looks like an entirely different building from different vantage points. I couldn't find the word “fractal” in my trusty dictionary, but Oliver tries to explain it to his mother: “What you think is a straight line . . . actually isn't. There are all these little breaks and creases, that go on forever.” But Ollie is only interested in a sort of challenge, making it through the Sierpinski Triangle Labyrinth where time as well as space has to be navigated, faster than anyone has before. When the mother goes to the ladies room, making her son promise to wait for her before before he enters the maze, things really get weird.
Frustratingly most of these stories just stop. The story means whatever the reader thinks it means.
BEAUTIFUL DAYS includes eleven short stories of varying length. Most often you will not be able to finish one in one sitting, but that just may be me. “Big Burnt” is the first one to give me pause. It's about a man who asks a woman, but not necessary “The woman” to accompany him on a speed boat in inclement weather on the way to the inlet “Big Burnt”. She really likes him and wants to impress him; she doesn't complain when he goes too fast. She doesn't know he's contemplating suicide; his wife has left him and his business is in trouble. So . . . will he or won't he?
I guess my favorite story among the eleven is “Except You Bless Me”. The Narrator is “Ms. Rane” a writing teacher. Her antagonist is Larissa Wikawaaya who has been writing the narrator nasty notes, calling her “hag lady and white bitch.” Larissa has an appointment to speak to the narrator during office hours. Eventually they go over Larissa's latest assignment line by line and Larissa seems to be attentive and cooperative; she needs to pass Composition 101 in order to get into nursing school. When she leaves, she starts to cry. “Ms. Rane” takes her hand and leads her down the stairs. She thinks they've made progress, but Larissa never shows up in class again. Years later the narrator meats Larissa again, but she calls herself Bettina. Helen Raine has an appointment to have blood work done and Larissa/Bettina will draw the blood, but she can't find a vein. Helen feels faint, but Larissa/Bettina treats her like a dentist treats a five-year-old; she finds and a vein and professionally draws three vials of blood. Tit for tat?
Some of Oates' stories are perplexing, as is “Fractal”; a mother is taking her genius son to the fractal museum. Oliver is only nine, but he's already decided he wants to be an architect; he studies blueprints like other kids study comic books. He's looking for hidden spaces. He finds one in his roomsand dares his mother to find him once he has time to hide. She can't. Then he appears as she sits on the bed frustrated. The fractal museum is a weird building. It looks like an entirely different building from different vantage points. I couldn't find the word “fractal” in my trusty dictionary, but Oliver tries to explain it to his mother: “What you think is a straight line . . . actually isn't. There are all these little breaks and creases, that go on forever.” But Ollie is only interested in a sort of challenge, making it through the Sierpinski Triangle Labyrinth where time as well as space has to be navigated, faster than anyone has before. When the mother goes to the ladies room, making her son promise to wait for her before before he enters the maze, things really get weird.
Frustratingly most of these stories just stop. The story means whatever the reader thinks it means.
Unsheltered
UNSHELTERED is set in two different centuries at the same address. The house had foundation problems in both centuries and was falling down.
In the 21st century around the time Trump was campaigning for present, Willa Knox had lost her job as a magazine writer and was freelancing. Her husband, Iano, has finally found tenure as a college professor, but the college is in danger of closing and wants to sign him on a yearly basis. It's up to Willa to sell an article for a decent price to fix the house. Her daughter Tig (Antigone), all four feet ten inches, eighty pounds of her is twenty-six and could care less about money; she works as short order cook with her boyfriend, Jorge. She had suddenly appeared after being missing for several years. She was in Cuba embroiled in a romance with a married man. We learn a lot of good things about Cuba that our propaganda stations don't tell us. Education is free right on through Phd, for instance. If you need a ride anyplace, you go up to this guy wearing a yellow coat, who will find somebody to take you, usually stopping a car that's not fully occupied and asking where they're going. Willa's other child, Zeke, is a financier, trying to set up a hedge fund, but he's down in the dumps, as the mother of his child, Dusty, has committed suicide; she just never wanted a baby. Both Willa and Tig want Dusty. Zeke has yet to bond with the kid.
In the 19th century, Thatcher Greenwood is in his first year as a science teacher, trying to make it relevant to kids who could care less. But his main problem is his principal who will interrupt his class at any time and go into a religious rant, attacking science, usually Charles Darwin's contention that we evolved from apes. His wife, Rose, is into horses and the rich Dunwiddle family who let her ride their horses. Her little sister, Polly, is smitten with Thatcher and thinks he should marry her. She's just a teenager, though. The villain of this part of the story, besides the principal, is the town dictator, Landis who will remind you a lot of Henry Ford and other model city tyrants like Pullman who created working class homes for their employees, charged them rent and set up a whole string of requirements and rules you had to conform to if you wanted to live there, including periodic inspections. Landis also owned a lecture hall; he would bring in speakers for the edification of the townspeople at fifteen cents a pop. That's how Thatcher and his principal got involved in a debate on Darwin's evolutionary theory, which sealed his fate as a teacher. Thatcher did have one ally, a Mr. Carruth, who ran a newspaper critical of Landis's heavy-handed ways and of his ailing wife. That's where the climax for that part of the story arrives. Landis runs his own newspaper, which is highly complimentary of Landis's doings. Landis hates Carruth. What will he do about the insult (satirical though it is) to his wife and will he get away with it? I think we can see why the book is entitled UNSHELTERED and not only because both houses are falling down.
In the 21st century around the time Trump was campaigning for present, Willa Knox had lost her job as a magazine writer and was freelancing. Her husband, Iano, has finally found tenure as a college professor, but the college is in danger of closing and wants to sign him on a yearly basis. It's up to Willa to sell an article for a decent price to fix the house. Her daughter Tig (Antigone), all four feet ten inches, eighty pounds of her is twenty-six and could care less about money; she works as short order cook with her boyfriend, Jorge. She had suddenly appeared after being missing for several years. She was in Cuba embroiled in a romance with a married man. We learn a lot of good things about Cuba that our propaganda stations don't tell us. Education is free right on through Phd, for instance. If you need a ride anyplace, you go up to this guy wearing a yellow coat, who will find somebody to take you, usually stopping a car that's not fully occupied and asking where they're going. Willa's other child, Zeke, is a financier, trying to set up a hedge fund, but he's down in the dumps, as the mother of his child, Dusty, has committed suicide; she just never wanted a baby. Both Willa and Tig want Dusty. Zeke has yet to bond with the kid.
In the 19th century, Thatcher Greenwood is in his first year as a science teacher, trying to make it relevant to kids who could care less. But his main problem is his principal who will interrupt his class at any time and go into a religious rant, attacking science, usually Charles Darwin's contention that we evolved from apes. His wife, Rose, is into horses and the rich Dunwiddle family who let her ride their horses. Her little sister, Polly, is smitten with Thatcher and thinks he should marry her. She's just a teenager, though. The villain of this part of the story, besides the principal, is the town dictator, Landis who will remind you a lot of Henry Ford and other model city tyrants like Pullman who created working class homes for their employees, charged them rent and set up a whole string of requirements and rules you had to conform to if you wanted to live there, including periodic inspections. Landis also owned a lecture hall; he would bring in speakers for the edification of the townspeople at fifteen cents a pop. That's how Thatcher and his principal got involved in a debate on Darwin's evolutionary theory, which sealed his fate as a teacher. Thatcher did have one ally, a Mr. Carruth, who ran a newspaper critical of Landis's heavy-handed ways and of his ailing wife. That's where the climax for that part of the story arrives. Landis runs his own newspaper, which is highly complimentary of Landis's doings. Landis hates Carruth. What will he do about the insult (satirical though it is) to his wife and will he get away with it? I think we can see why the book is entitled UNSHELTERED and not only because both houses are falling down.
IF IT BLEEDS
Stephen King's story collection includes four novella-length stories, the best of which is “The Life of Chuck”.
I especially liked that one because it reminded me of John Donne's “No Man is an Island” and his proviso “Each man's death diminishes me.” Chuck is an accountant who appears to be retiring after thirty-nine years juggling numbers. For some reason there are billboards extolling Chuck's achievement. In reality Chuck is dying at age 39, and it appears the rest of humanity is going with him because each man contains multitudes.
Holly Gibney of the Mr. Mercedes mystery trilogy returns in the title selection “If It Bleeds”. Holly is now the head of the detective agency, Finders Keepers. Some sneaky devil has left a bomb at the local Middle School, ostensibly meant for a class that had a long-distance relationship with a school in Scotland. Holly sees something odd about the reporter covering the bombing. This one is more of your typical King story. Think about the clown character sticking his head out of the manhole cover in IT.
The first story “Mr. Harrigan's Phone” is about a nine-year-old boy, Craig, who takes a job reading, watering plants and doing minor dusting for a retired billionaire, Mr. Harrigan. His father's reaction is that Harrigan is cheap for only paying Craig five bucks an hour. He is only minimally bothered by the possibility Harrigan may be a perv. He's not. Craig is an inveterate reader having assumed the job of reading the LESSONS at his local Methodist church. Mr. Harrigan is in the congregation and is impressed. They read some very heavy fare including Conrad's THE HEART OF DARKNESS. But Harrigan sends Craig birthday, Valentine's and Christmas cards that include lottery tickets, one of which returns five thousand dollars for Craig. Eventually King reverts to form when Harrigan dies and Craig calls him on his iPhone, which Harrigan had reluctantly accepted as a gift from Craig. He answers.
The fourth one is about a writer who experiences writer's block every time he tries to write a novel. I was wondering when the rat would show up. Let's just says the rat takes a Faustian role as it negotiates a deal with Drew Larson to finish a novel he had started at his cabin and was cruising along until he caught the Flu and a killer storm hit upper Maine, putting the brakes on Drew's efforts. Drew thinks he's dreaming the whole thing, but is haunted when everything happens according to the agreement.
I have read some excellent King short story collections, including THE SKELETON CREW; I don't think there was a bad story in that compilation. He's actually a better short story writer than he is a novelist IMHO. This one seems a bit redundant, although I would like to see more mysteries from King. Holly Gibney is a very likable character.
I especially liked that one because it reminded me of John Donne's “No Man is an Island” and his proviso “Each man's death diminishes me.” Chuck is an accountant who appears to be retiring after thirty-nine years juggling numbers. For some reason there are billboards extolling Chuck's achievement. In reality Chuck is dying at age 39, and it appears the rest of humanity is going with him because each man contains multitudes.
Holly Gibney of the Mr. Mercedes mystery trilogy returns in the title selection “If It Bleeds”. Holly is now the head of the detective agency, Finders Keepers. Some sneaky devil has left a bomb at the local Middle School, ostensibly meant for a class that had a long-distance relationship with a school in Scotland. Holly sees something odd about the reporter covering the bombing. This one is more of your typical King story. Think about the clown character sticking his head out of the manhole cover in IT.
The first story “Mr. Harrigan's Phone” is about a nine-year-old boy, Craig, who takes a job reading, watering plants and doing minor dusting for a retired billionaire, Mr. Harrigan. His father's reaction is that Harrigan is cheap for only paying Craig five bucks an hour. He is only minimally bothered by the possibility Harrigan may be a perv. He's not. Craig is an inveterate reader having assumed the job of reading the LESSONS at his local Methodist church. Mr. Harrigan is in the congregation and is impressed. They read some very heavy fare including Conrad's THE HEART OF DARKNESS. But Harrigan sends Craig birthday, Valentine's and Christmas cards that include lottery tickets, one of which returns five thousand dollars for Craig. Eventually King reverts to form when Harrigan dies and Craig calls him on his iPhone, which Harrigan had reluctantly accepted as a gift from Craig. He answers.
The fourth one is about a writer who experiences writer's block every time he tries to write a novel. I was wondering when the rat would show up. Let's just says the rat takes a Faustian role as it negotiates a deal with Drew Larson to finish a novel he had started at his cabin and was cruising along until he caught the Flu and a killer storm hit upper Maine, putting the brakes on Drew's efforts. Drew thinks he's dreaming the whole thing, but is haunted when everything happens according to the agreement.
I have read some excellent King short story collections, including THE SKELETON CREW; I don't think there was a bad story in that compilation. He's actually a better short story writer than he is a novelist IMHO. This one seems a bit redundant, although I would like to see more mysteries from King. Holly Gibney is a very likable character.
American Gospel
I first heard of Lin Enger after I read his brother Leif Enger's hit novel, PEACE LIKE A RIVER. He teaches English Lit at The U of Minnesota Moorhead, right next to Fargo. He was at least as good as Leif.
The review I read of AMERICAN GOSPEL implied that Enoch, the major character who predicts the Rapture was a lonely old man. Enoch is far from that. He has a vision during a heart attack during which he sees his son Peter above him ascending into Heaven.
Peter is probably more of a major character than Enoch. He is a failed baseball player who spent eight years in the minors and is now counting on a journalism career to make his mark. He doesn't believe in the Rapture, but he sees his chance as the media is giving Enoch a lot of attention. He has a secondary goal. He hopes to see his ex-lover Melanie at the Last Days Ranch, his father's property. Peter and Melanie had a child together when she was fifteen, and he was eighteen. Enoch and Melanie's parents insisted they put the child up for adoption. Peter and Melanie hope to see their son at the Rapture event which Enoch predicts will occur on August 19, 1974.
Melanie thinks Enoch saved her life when a bull stepped on her chest. He prayed and she survived. She is now an actress with a new movie coming out. Both Enoch and Peter hope that Melanie's appearance will draw a crowd. Melanie believes it actually might happen. She's fed up with Hollywood and her stage door mother, Dollie who left her husband and took Melanie to California to live with her sister. She got her commercials then parts in moves and eventually an agent.
Enoch isn't a bad person, but he's setting himself up for a terrible humiliation and Peter is determined to save him, mainly because his son Willie (Named after Willie Mays?) wants him to. Enger provides an appropriate ending.
The review I read of AMERICAN GOSPEL implied that Enoch, the major character who predicts the Rapture was a lonely old man. Enoch is far from that. He has a vision during a heart attack during which he sees his son Peter above him ascending into Heaven.
Peter is probably more of a major character than Enoch. He is a failed baseball player who spent eight years in the minors and is now counting on a journalism career to make his mark. He doesn't believe in the Rapture, but he sees his chance as the media is giving Enoch a lot of attention. He has a secondary goal. He hopes to see his ex-lover Melanie at the Last Days Ranch, his father's property. Peter and Melanie had a child together when she was fifteen, and he was eighteen. Enoch and Melanie's parents insisted they put the child up for adoption. Peter and Melanie hope to see their son at the Rapture event which Enoch predicts will occur on August 19, 1974.
Melanie thinks Enoch saved her life when a bull stepped on her chest. He prayed and she survived. She is now an actress with a new movie coming out. Both Enoch and Peter hope that Melanie's appearance will draw a crowd. Melanie believes it actually might happen. She's fed up with Hollywood and her stage door mother, Dollie who left her husband and took Melanie to California to live with her sister. She got her commercials then parts in moves and eventually an agent.
Enoch isn't a bad person, but he's setting himself up for a terrible humiliation and Peter is determined to save him, mainly because his son Willie (Named after Willie Mays?) wants him to. Enger provides an appropriate ending.
The Sun Collective
As Harry Brettigan is riding the light rail on his way to the Mall in Bloomington, Minnesota, he is struck by the number of homeless people also riding the train. He refers to them as “Victims of Capitalism” and has a great deal of empathy for them.
Later he and his wife Alma are at Minnehaha Falls enjoying the view when they notice a joyful couple, the young man blowing bubbles and the girl trying to kick them out of the air. They are enchanted. Harry remembers them spreading leaflets at the Mall. They belong to a ideological group called the Sun Collective. Ultimately they learn the Sun Collective is out to do something about the homeless and victims of our wolfish society. They sponsor community outreach programs like community gardens, a co-op bank and campaign for affordable housing. The young people are Christina and Ludlow.
Another plot thread involves Harry and Alma's son, Tim, a former theatrical actor, who has spurned his career and become a member of the homeless community as well.
Eventually Alma goes to Sun Collective meetings, something Harry is cynical about. In his mind these ideological groups ultimately lose their lofty goals and try to impose them on others, much as Marxism did. We see Ludlow veering in that direction.
Harry is a former engineer, having built bridges for his career. He is glad he wasn't involved in the building of the 35W bridge that collapsed in Minneapolis. He's kind of a sad sack who breaks out in tears more than once. But he truly loves his wife and wants his son back.
There are several twists and turns later on. We are asked questions such as “Is violence ever justified?” Christiana, influenced by the Sun Collective, also does something shocking to herself that ultimately turns out for the good.
I would recommend THE SUN COLLECTIVE not so much for the story, but for the big questions it asks and examines.
Later he and his wife Alma are at Minnehaha Falls enjoying the view when they notice a joyful couple, the young man blowing bubbles and the girl trying to kick them out of the air. They are enchanted. Harry remembers them spreading leaflets at the Mall. They belong to a ideological group called the Sun Collective. Ultimately they learn the Sun Collective is out to do something about the homeless and victims of our wolfish society. They sponsor community outreach programs like community gardens, a co-op bank and campaign for affordable housing. The young people are Christina and Ludlow.
Another plot thread involves Harry and Alma's son, Tim, a former theatrical actor, who has spurned his career and become a member of the homeless community as well.
Eventually Alma goes to Sun Collective meetings, something Harry is cynical about. In his mind these ideological groups ultimately lose their lofty goals and try to impose them on others, much as Marxism did. We see Ludlow veering in that direction.
Harry is a former engineer, having built bridges for his career. He is glad he wasn't involved in the building of the 35W bridge that collapsed in Minneapolis. He's kind of a sad sack who breaks out in tears more than once. But he truly loves his wife and wants his son back.
There are several twists and turns later on. We are asked questions such as “Is violence ever justified?” Christiana, influenced by the Sun Collective, also does something shocking to herself that ultimately turns out for the good.
I would recommend THE SUN COLLECTIVE not so much for the story, but for the big questions it asks and examines.
