The Word Made Flesh

by Kevin Catalano

The secret is in the bone. Yet Kevin Catalano's debut collection, The Word Made Flesh, palpates a primal recognition that the revelation is also in its the short short stories that possess a universe of knowing, yet also exquisite frailty, working in rhythmic concert to elevate the flawed human form. A system of symbolism, a machine of metaphor, The Word Made Flesh is the bodily incarnation of transformative language.

58 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2012

About the author

Kevin Catalano is the author of the dark thriller, Where the Sun Shines Out (Skyhorse), and of the short-story collection, Deleted Scenes and Other Bonus Features (Stephen F. Austin University Press). His other work has appeared in places like PANK, storySouth, Booth, Gargoyle Magazine, Fanzine, and Aethlon: a Journal of Sport Literature. He earned his MFA from Rutgers University-Newark, where he currently teaches writing.

Reviews

[Marlena · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first thoughts after finishing the book were "raw and primal". Kevin truly has a way with words, the imagery is tremendous. I was able to picture each scene easily and with great detail.

I was very excited to read this as I read Where The Sun Shines Out about a year ago and loved it as well. I'm looking forward to reading more of his work.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I liked Kevin Catalano’s first novel, Where the Sun Shines Out, well enough to seek this book out and I finally managed to find a copy. Interesting little stories. Dark and foreboding.

[Ben Spivey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I reviewed this book for The Small Press Book Review: http://thesmallpressbookreview.blogsp...

[Al Kratz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was happy to find this baby on a pile of TBR I had been ignoring for too long. Like I might have had this even before his novel came out.

Catalano style is sharp and genuine. Poetic and primal. Folks that didn’t like what happened to the dog in his first novel may not want to read this one either. This isn’t the run of the mill flash that can sometimes form to the middle. There isn’t a single first person story in here (if I remember right) but that doesn’t stop it from having an intense and personal point of view. They read like testimony or confession and are almost even scarier by being told from indirect views. The writer’s hand not visible in the words but felt in the gut.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Catalano is an exquisite writer; he has a precise eye for detail. This collection of short stories and flash fiction is written like poetry with poignant lines and vivid imagery, and the repeating characters are painted honestly, further keeping the reader's attention. The stories involving Mark and the boy were by far the best. The mythical, biblical elements of this work bring the ethereal to the ground floor, reminding us to "pay attention to the bone. The secret's there."

[Joe Starnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to read this before it was published, which is why I said it "pulsates with complex, rich, and vividly drawn characters, their stories told in an evocative voice that surprises and thrills in a brew of noir and poetry and poignant scenes. These are short stories but long on talent. Read this book and put it on your shelf and hold space for more. It marks the debut of a supremely gifted writer."

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kevin's command of language and his sensory detail are compelling in this collection of short and very short stories. This last is oversimplification of the impact of this work. Seriously excellent writing here.

[Clifford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't let the length fool you. Often in concision there is density of meaning, and that's the case in this thin volume. I'll have more to say about it soon, but for now--recommended.