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You Want More: Selected Stories
Thirty stories, collected in one volume for the very first time, from one of the South's best known and most acclaimed short story writers.
With his signature darkly acerbic and sharp-witted humor, George Singleton has built a reputation as one of the most astute and wise observers of the South. Now Tom Franklin introduces this master of the form with a compilation of acclaimed and prize-winning short fiction spanning twenty years and eight collections, including stories originally published in outlets like the Atlantic Monthly, Harper's, Playboy, the Georgia Review, the Southern Review, and many more. A lovelorn and chatty euthanasia vet arrives at a couples’ house to put down their dog, Probate; a father-to-be searches his workplace—a bar—for a replacement sonogram after recording an episode of Bonanza over the original; an unlikely romance sparks between a librarian and a professional bowler while they compete to win an RV; a father takes his son to visit the many ex-girlfriends that could have been his mother.
These stories bear the influence of Flannery O’Connor and Raymond Carver, at other times Lewis Nordan and Donald Barthelme, and touch on the mysteries of childhood, the complexities of human relationships, and the absurdity of everyday life, its inexorable defeats and small triumphs. Assembled here for the very first time, You Want More showcases the body of work, hilarious and incisive, that has cemented George Singleton’s place among the South’s greatest living writers.
With his signature darkly acerbic and sharp-witted humor, George Singleton has built a reputation as one of the most astute and wise observers of the South. Now Tom Franklin introduces this master of the form with a compilation of acclaimed and prize-winning short fiction spanning twenty years and eight collections, including stories originally published in outlets like the Atlantic Monthly, Harper's, Playboy, the Georgia Review, the Southern Review, and many more. A lovelorn and chatty euthanasia vet arrives at a couples’ house to put down their dog, Probate; a father-to-be searches his workplace—a bar—for a replacement sonogram after recording an episode of Bonanza over the original; an unlikely romance sparks between a librarian and a professional bowler while they compete to win an RV; a father takes his son to visit the many ex-girlfriends that could have been his mother.
These stories bear the influence of Flannery O’Connor and Raymond Carver, at other times Lewis Nordan and Donald Barthelme, and touch on the mysteries of childhood, the complexities of human relationships, and the absurdity of everyday life, its inexorable defeats and small triumphs. Assembled here for the very first time, You Want More showcases the body of work, hilarious and incisive, that has cemented George Singleton’s place among the South’s greatest living writers.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published September 15, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 14, 2020
A word of caution may be necessary regarding the stories of George Singleton; that they are highly addictive, that they are laugh inducing, that you might start thinking about moving to Forty-Five or Callustown or any of the other unique places in this madman's literary vision of the South. Populated by three fingered mill workers, various duffers and layabouts, men that ponder improbable dilemma's such as what is the easiest way to make money without breaking a sweat. If you are looking for something to brighten your spirits, then look no further: George Singleton is the cure for the blues! You Want More is a delightful volume of stories that are guaranteed to make you chortle, speak in non-sequiturs, and give you a brand new literary hero that you can be proud of. No longer do you need to hang your head in shame because everybody down at the local watering hole is bragging about some new bestseller they read, be the first on your block to brag about finding a new voice in Southern Fiction. Say it loud and say it proud: George Singleton is here to save us all and his message is crystal clear: Read this book and enjoy yourself!
Robert Segedy
Robert Segedy
June 23, 2021
Singleton is comic genius. This is one of the funniest books I've read in a long time, so achingly absurd and yet realistic and perceptive of people and the South Carolina culture, or at least some aspects of it, that I had to take breathers in between stories occasionally because I could barely stand it. His characters are mutually believable and outrageous. Underneath all the farcical situations and conversations is a deep intelligence of human observation. Where has he been all my life????
November 29, 2020
My synopsis of these short stories go something like this: A travelling aquarium salesman, forced to attend a motivational conference, hooks up with the speaker’s scar-faced, ex-gangster daughter; A former child-star of a statewide lice documentary returns to his hometown and high school reunion and has an epiphany; Pam, a dog-healer (not a veterinarian, but literally a dog who heals), licks away diseases, illnesses, and infection with her tongue; A Halloween miracle occurs when Jesus Christ and his two thieving companions go trick-or-treating; “The Novels of Raymond Carver” (???? If you don’t get it now, you’ll get the joke when you read the story); Richard Petty, who has written the great American novel, delivers his acceptance speech for the National Book Award, and manages to squeeze in every sponsor. According to Aristotle, “No great genius has ever existed without some touch of madness.” You see where I’m heading here. Anyone unfamiliar with George’s type of genius--who perchance read my sticky notes--may recommend inpatient therapy. Yet, there’s something grander going on with these quirky stories. “Four-Way Stop” is a masterpiece of balancing comedy and tragedy. In “Richard Petty Accepts National Book Award,” Singleton compares pit-road with the writing industry, which turns out isn’t much of a stretch. And every time I end up in the town of Gruel, like his characters who cannot seem to escape or otherwise get sucked back into Gruel, it’s as if I’m reunited with my own dysfunctional family. There’s Victor Dees, the proprietor of the Army-Navy store. There’s Jeff, the owner/bartender from Roughhouse Billiards. If you are a short story writer, reader, or maybe just want to read literature that won’t induce you to pen a suicide letter, then get a copy of You Want More. Hell, get a copy of all of Singleton’s books. His stories are like the loyal dogs he frequently writes about. They will be waiting for you by the door. If you’re really good, they may fetch you a beer.
Singleton is a first-person point-of-view wonder boy. His third-person point-of-view feels like first-person narration, because it’s just so dang close. There’s even a second-person point-of-view story in You Want More ("What Could’ve Been?”), and that isn’t the easiest thing to accomplish. It’s both funny and not so funny when you put it in perspective. Even though his narration is super tight, occasionally the narrator sort of stops and chats about writing. For any other writer this would come off as an intrusion, but it works and for us writerly folks who ponder the same issues it’s a nod to the craft.
Then there are the classic Singletonian lines that every writer wishes they came up with first: “You’ll have twenty lies, all of which you will recycle the rest of your life." Or, “My team members stared at me as if I piped up about how Jesus was a gay man and couldn’t decide which of the twelve disciples to date.” I’m not giving away anymore Singleton lines for free. Buy your own copy! Buy them all! For what my opinion is worth, Singleton epitomizes what is best in the modern American short story and should be on every syllabus starting in high school. If you’re concerned with language and/or content, I have a friend who teaches “Trombones, Not Magic” from Staff Picks to his AP English high school class. Generally, these are feel-good stories with a moral to the story and it's never force-fed.
I read an article about how Tennessee photographer, William Eggleston, depicted suburban American life like a John Cheever story. I see both these masters in Singleton’s works. If John Cheever was the “the Chekhov of the suburbs,” then George Singleton is the John Cheever of the small Southern town. But if I had to compare Singleton’s stories to another photographer, it would be Chris Verene, who at a young age started documenting his friends and family from his hometown of Galesburg, Illinois. Like Verene, Singleton articulates honest stories about the everyday person anyone can understand. His stories remind me of flipping through the family photo album. It feels like home, and yes, we want more.
Singleton is a first-person point-of-view wonder boy. His third-person point-of-view feels like first-person narration, because it’s just so dang close. There’s even a second-person point-of-view story in You Want More ("What Could’ve Been?”), and that isn’t the easiest thing to accomplish. It’s both funny and not so funny when you put it in perspective. Even though his narration is super tight, occasionally the narrator sort of stops and chats about writing. For any other writer this would come off as an intrusion, but it works and for us writerly folks who ponder the same issues it’s a nod to the craft.
Then there are the classic Singletonian lines that every writer wishes they came up with first: “You’ll have twenty lies, all of which you will recycle the rest of your life." Or, “My team members stared at me as if I piped up about how Jesus was a gay man and couldn’t decide which of the twelve disciples to date.” I’m not giving away anymore Singleton lines for free. Buy your own copy! Buy them all! For what my opinion is worth, Singleton epitomizes what is best in the modern American short story and should be on every syllabus starting in high school. If you’re concerned with language and/or content, I have a friend who teaches “Trombones, Not Magic” from Staff Picks to his AP English high school class. Generally, these are feel-good stories with a moral to the story and it's never force-fed.
I read an article about how Tennessee photographer, William Eggleston, depicted suburban American life like a John Cheever story. I see both these masters in Singleton’s works. If John Cheever was the “the Chekhov of the suburbs,” then George Singleton is the John Cheever of the small Southern town. But if I had to compare Singleton’s stories to another photographer, it would be Chris Verene, who at a young age started documenting his friends and family from his hometown of Galesburg, Illinois. Like Verene, Singleton articulates honest stories about the everyday person anyone can understand. His stories remind me of flipping through the family photo album. It feels like home, and yes, we want more.
June 27, 2021
I gave him another chance but I have finally concluded this is not my style. The stories are about bizarre characters (an aquarium salesman to seafood restaurants?) and the stories have no point. Occasionally a story might be interesting such as the one about the high school reunion. He satirizes Southern behavior, which can be funny but it is so subtle. If he were more blatant, they would realize he is making fun of them and then they wouldn't buy his books anymore.
August 21, 2021
Probably my favorite book I've read this year. I took breaks between stories so I could savor the entirety for as long as possible.
December 13, 2022
If you're not from the South, most likely you won't appreciate the absurdity and humor present throughout Singleton's stories. Bless your little heart. These people are us. At least they're me. Singleton is a must-read, for fans of Barry Hannah, Lewis Nordan, and Charles Portis.
September 24, 2020
"George Singleton can make caulk funny. A yardstick. Goody's Head-ache Powders." These words begin the foreword to YOU WANT MORE, George Singleton's new collection of short stories. I'll add this: He can make head lice funny.
With so much falling apart around us, buy this book and laugh till your sides hurt. Admire the brilliantly drawn characters in every single one of these edgy, perceptive, terrific stories. If there's a central theme, it's that there's nobility in perseverance.
With so much falling apart around us, buy this book and laugh till your sides hurt. Admire the brilliantly drawn characters in every single one of these edgy, perceptive, terrific stories. If there's a central theme, it's that there's nobility in perseverance.
September 17, 2020
I became a fan of Singleton's writing years ago when I heard him read from an anthology at the Southern Festival of Books. He's witty and his characters are both heartbreakingly real hilariously absurd. This collection was exactly what I needed right now. Thirty stories that made me laugh, almost cry (okay I cried once), but best of all they made me think. Do yourself a favor and get this book.
April 29, 2026
George Singleton – review of You Want More
You can gas up your Ford F-150, pack your lab/bird dog mix into the passenger seat, and begin the search within the wide triangle of the South Carolina upstate for the little, curious towns of 45, Calloustown, and Gruel. Or, if you’re like me, maybe you don’t get around as easily as you used to, not enough energy or resources to spend an afternoon driving all over God’s earth – even though you wish you could. So alternatively, you could go by the Fly-by-Night store and pick up another twelve pack, a frozen twelve-inch pizza, and a bag of Doritos, then back home, settle in, and crack that book you picked up the other day: the one by George Singleton. It’s full of stories that Goerge wrote, stories from 45, Calloustown, and Gruel, South Carolina. It’s just like traveling, the best way, except it’s in your mind, like the Moody Blues said.
I mean, what do you know about this trio of towns in South Carolina? Not much, I bet. About as much as General Sherman I’m thinking, who knew so little about Calloustown that he took a detour and forbore to burn the place down. You can’t learn about this almost-event in history with a mere drive-through. Know” festival to find out.
Down the road from Calloustown is Gruel, South Carolina, home of the Gruel Bakery which produces the famous “special bread with Jesus Crust”. This is the home of Owe Posey, or was I should say, until he died on his riding mower in the middle of Paula Pergason’s yard. If you hadn’t read the brilliant story “John Cheever, Rest in Peace”, you wouldn’t have known the manner of this death, nor about Owe and his wife Carla’s non-involvement with the Gruel Association to Sanctify History. (In most other places in the South, most such organizations are known simply as “The School Board”.)
And oh, the dogs you will meet in the Three Towns and in its Metropolitan Statistical Area: Now and Later, Probate, Tapeworm Johnson, aka Wanda, and Pam the Healing Dog, to name a few. These dogs typically led good lives and were well cared for. They lived for not a day less than fifteen years, though any more than fifteen years all bets were off. Pam the Healing Dog doubtless bent the canine – and human – life expectancy curve because she licked everybody who was sick or sore. She was proved, by science, to have abnormal levels of acetaminophen and other curative substances in her saliva.
Of course it’s not just dogs. If you’re not careful, you could slam right into a grist of bees, a down of hares, a knot of toads, or a clutch of chickens. I doubt there were monkeys who were indigenous to the area – say, as much as a troop of them. Old timers will tell you they remember the time when you could see the occasional sounder of boars.
Sometimes people in Three Towns needed to get out of the house and find a meat and drink establishment – preferably one that welcomed dogs, which several did. There were many choices: Rough House Billiards was a nice place to go for an anniversary dinner and beer, then you and your missus could go back home and watch the Dutch channel you found where the ladies work their gardens in the nude. There is Cap’n Dell Kell’s Galley Bell for any occasion, plus the Treehouse, which may be a cut above, or almost a cut. The Sunken Garden Lounge, where well-dressed men read the 45 Platter newspaper, or talk to well-coiffed ladies who may, or may not, be their wives. There’s always the guy sitting at the bar tossing beers and scratching behind his dog’s ear.
If you need some extra loving care for whatever ails you, you can take a rest at the “Calloustown Home for the Feeble and Discouraged” (I think I need to go there). Or, you, can drive out of state (why does the best therapy always happen out of state?) to Christ Almighty, North Carolina. You can sit by the healing waters of Lake Christ Almighty, or take a hike up the gentle trails of Mount Christ Almighty. At the Wellness Center you can take classes in Christian Yoga, God’s Sun Therapy, the Perrspiration Lodge, Eternal Light and Many Colors therapy, and Trout therapy – (ask about this).
………………………………………………………….
Okay, the classes at the Christ Almighty Wellness Center I made up. Total lies. Just say I was inspired by Singleton. I can tell you, though, about a college course called “The Novels of Raymond Carver.” That is not my invention.
I could keep writing this review until it was twice as long as it is and still have more to say. Each of these thirty stories is packed, mostly with surprises, with the impossible things that people say, and the improbable things that happen to them. This collection is arranged so that stories can be read one or two at a time, then reread, as I often did, knowing there were nuggets I had missed. I grew up in Columbia, reading the tales of William Price Fox, wondering if there was to be life after him. There is. His name if George Singleton.
You can gas up your Ford F-150, pack your lab/bird dog mix into the passenger seat, and begin the search within the wide triangle of the South Carolina upstate for the little, curious towns of 45, Calloustown, and Gruel. Or, if you’re like me, maybe you don’t get around as easily as you used to, not enough energy or resources to spend an afternoon driving all over God’s earth – even though you wish you could. So alternatively, you could go by the Fly-by-Night store and pick up another twelve pack, a frozen twelve-inch pizza, and a bag of Doritos, then back home, settle in, and crack that book you picked up the other day: the one by George Singleton. It’s full of stories that Goerge wrote, stories from 45, Calloustown, and Gruel, South Carolina. It’s just like traveling, the best way, except it’s in your mind, like the Moody Blues said.
I mean, what do you know about this trio of towns in South Carolina? Not much, I bet. About as much as General Sherman I’m thinking, who knew so little about Calloustown that he took a detour and forbore to burn the place down. You can’t learn about this almost-event in history with a mere drive-through. Know” festival to find out.
Down the road from Calloustown is Gruel, South Carolina, home of the Gruel Bakery which produces the famous “special bread with Jesus Crust”. This is the home of Owe Posey, or was I should say, until he died on his riding mower in the middle of Paula Pergason’s yard. If you hadn’t read the brilliant story “John Cheever, Rest in Peace”, you wouldn’t have known the manner of this death, nor about Owe and his wife Carla’s non-involvement with the Gruel Association to Sanctify History. (In most other places in the South, most such organizations are known simply as “The School Board”.)
And oh, the dogs you will meet in the Three Towns and in its Metropolitan Statistical Area: Now and Later, Probate, Tapeworm Johnson, aka Wanda, and Pam the Healing Dog, to name a few. These dogs typically led good lives and were well cared for. They lived for not a day less than fifteen years, though any more than fifteen years all bets were off. Pam the Healing Dog doubtless bent the canine – and human – life expectancy curve because she licked everybody who was sick or sore. She was proved, by science, to have abnormal levels of acetaminophen and other curative substances in her saliva.
Of course it’s not just dogs. If you’re not careful, you could slam right into a grist of bees, a down of hares, a knot of toads, or a clutch of chickens. I doubt there were monkeys who were indigenous to the area – say, as much as a troop of them. Old timers will tell you they remember the time when you could see the occasional sounder of boars.
Sometimes people in Three Towns needed to get out of the house and find a meat and drink establishment – preferably one that welcomed dogs, which several did. There were many choices: Rough House Billiards was a nice place to go for an anniversary dinner and beer, then you and your missus could go back home and watch the Dutch channel you found where the ladies work their gardens in the nude. There is Cap’n Dell Kell’s Galley Bell for any occasion, plus the Treehouse, which may be a cut above, or almost a cut. The Sunken Garden Lounge, where well-dressed men read the 45 Platter newspaper, or talk to well-coiffed ladies who may, or may not, be their wives. There’s always the guy sitting at the bar tossing beers and scratching behind his dog’s ear.
If you need some extra loving care for whatever ails you, you can take a rest at the “Calloustown Home for the Feeble and Discouraged” (I think I need to go there). Or, you, can drive out of state (why does the best therapy always happen out of state?) to Christ Almighty, North Carolina. You can sit by the healing waters of Lake Christ Almighty, or take a hike up the gentle trails of Mount Christ Almighty. At the Wellness Center you can take classes in Christian Yoga, God’s Sun Therapy, the Perrspiration Lodge, Eternal Light and Many Colors therapy, and Trout therapy – (ask about this).
………………………………………………………….
Okay, the classes at the Christ Almighty Wellness Center I made up. Total lies. Just say I was inspired by Singleton. I can tell you, though, about a college course called “The Novels of Raymond Carver.” That is not my invention.
I could keep writing this review until it was twice as long as it is and still have more to say. Each of these thirty stories is packed, mostly with surprises, with the impossible things that people say, and the improbable things that happen to them. This collection is arranged so that stories can be read one or two at a time, then reread, as I often did, knowing there were nuggets I had missed. I grew up in Columbia, reading the tales of William Price Fox, wondering if there was to be life after him. There is. His name if George Singleton.
October 26, 2021
This book puzzles me a bit. To begin with, it's brilliant stuff. I read a fair number o volumes of short stories, and and they can blur in comparison to each other, but Singleton stands out as having a memorable, unique and engaging style which is not like anyone else's. There is a paradox in that this is a very literate book about characters who almost all far from intellectual.
Funny? Yeah, but in a wry and bitter-sweet way. I liked the absurdist stories, but in general behind the jokes and joke plots there is a lot of sadness. I can't remember a story which describes a stable marriage; the vast majority of stories are about men whose wives left them. It's weird to find humor without joy, but here it is.
Having lived in Tennessee, and spent a fair amount of time driving around South Carolina (where most of the stories take place), Singleton really nails the culture of the people who have less. While their lives do not seem to offer much happiness, none of them (as far as I can remember) seem especially unhappy.
This is absolutely five-star writing, but something holds me back from a total rave. I can't figure out why it took me so long to read this book, since I enjoyed it, but maybe there is an odd sameness to the stories, even though the plots and characters are so different and original. Regardless, Singleton is a talented and important writer and well worth reading.
Funny? Yeah, but in a wry and bitter-sweet way. I liked the absurdist stories, but in general behind the jokes and joke plots there is a lot of sadness. I can't remember a story which describes a stable marriage; the vast majority of stories are about men whose wives left them. It's weird to find humor without joy, but here it is.
Having lived in Tennessee, and spent a fair amount of time driving around South Carolina (where most of the stories take place), Singleton really nails the culture of the people who have less. While their lives do not seem to offer much happiness, none of them (as far as I can remember) seem especially unhappy.
This is absolutely five-star writing, but something holds me back from a total rave. I can't figure out why it took me so long to read this book, since I enjoyed it, but maybe there is an odd sameness to the stories, even though the plots and characters are so different and original. Regardless, Singleton is a talented and important writer and well worth reading.
February 6, 2026
These short stories were so boring and uneventful, it makes me wonder how did this book ever got published. It just seemed that story after story nothing really happened. They were just all so mundane. For some of them I was wondering, how is this even a short story? What is it even about? That is how bland the stories read.
August 12, 2021
I meet George over a Zoom call regarding this book. George is a master storyteller. This treasure of short stories is sure to make you smirk, if not outright LOL! The last story, "What Could've Been?" is an introspective masterpiece.
June 10, 2021
It's a good book, but I wish the characters hadn't cussed so much.
July 20, 2021
Not funny, rather depressing tales of alcoholic and sometimes divorced men in rural South Carolina.
August 7, 2021
A lot of little bits that make you chuckle, but as a collection all kinda blends together a bit
May 19, 2024
Great to re-meet these stories!
May 24, 2021
The writing style was beautiful. The stories were just random days in random people's lives.
I catch myself thinking about these random people wishing I knew more about them.
My drive through the piedmont of SC contained me reminiscing about the Jockey Lot and broken bottles and the name game.
I catch myself thinking about these random people wishing I knew more about them.
My drive through the piedmont of SC contained me reminiscing about the Jockey Lot and broken bottles and the name game.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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