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Dancers on the Shore
The first and only short story collection by William Melvin Kelley, author of A Different Drummer , and the source from which he drew inspiration for his subsequent novels.
Originally published in 1964, this collection of sixteen stories includes two linked sets of stories about the Bedlow and Dunford families. They represent the earliest work of William Melvin Kelley and provided a rich source of stories and characters who were to fill out his later novels. Spanning generations from the Deep South during Reconstruction to New York City in the 1960s, these insightful stories depict African American families--their struggles, their heartbreak, and their love.
Originally published in 1964, this collection of sixteen stories includes two linked sets of stories about the Bedlow and Dunford families. They represent the earliest work of William Melvin Kelley and provided a rich source of stories and characters who were to fill out his later novels. Spanning generations from the Deep South during Reconstruction to New York City in the 1960s, these insightful stories depict African American families--their struggles, their heartbreak, and their love.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1964
11 people are currently reading
325 people want to read
About the author
William Melvin Kelley
22 books111 followersWilliam Melvin Kelley was a prominent African-American novelist and short-story writer.
He was educated at the Fieldston School in New York and later attended Harvard University (class of 1960), where he won the Dana Reed Prize for creative writing.
Kelley was a writer in residence at the State University of New York at Geneseo and taught at the New School for Social Research and at Sarah Lawrence College.
In 2008, he won the Anisfield-Wolf Lifetime Achievement Award.
Kelley died in Manhattan on February 1, 2017. He was 79.
He was educated at the Fieldston School in New York and later attended Harvard University (class of 1960), where he won the Dana Reed Prize for creative writing.
Kelley was a writer in residence at the State University of New York at Geneseo and taught at the New School for Social Research and at Sarah Lawrence College.
In 2008, he won the Anisfield-Wolf Lifetime Achievement Award.
Kelley died in Manhattan on February 1, 2017. He was 79.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 29, 2020
A beautiful collection of short stories written many years ago that are still relevant in today’s society.
I wish some of the stories were just a bit longer as they were starting to get interesting at the end.
I wish some of the stories were just a bit longer as they were starting to get interesting at the end.
October 7, 2020
Absolutely fantastic stuff. Contains some of the best short stories I have read in a long long time, made even more interesting by the links between them ( one could group two sets together, for example, and form a couple of very good episodic novellas about the two families) and the fact that the subject matter sadly remains as relevant as ever.
April 21, 2022
Kelley in short story form is very good. not phenomenal as some of these read and felt uneven to me, though, the quintessential essence of Kelley did not fall short. His explorations of voice, humor, and identity was true to style.
the fact that he wrote "The Poker Party" as a student should tell you everything you need to know about Kelley, that was by far one of my favorites.
the fact that he wrote "The Poker Party" as a student should tell you everything you need to know about Kelley, that was by far one of my favorites.
September 10, 2020
In a really good short story collection, there might be two or three stories that give me what I call the ‘pang’ – a feeling in my chest towards the end of the story which is like a sucker-punch of truth. It is not about an unexpected twist, necessarily, but a line of dialogue or a gesture that has such authenticity to it that it seems to come from real life and not fiction, that sums up the heartache of the story, that reaches into the core of humanity. I don’t know if I am the only one that gets this feeling, and if this therefore sounds like Ellie-nonsense, but it’s a physical sensation, and as I say, it is rare. Almost every story in this book gave me the short story ‘pang of truth’.
It is easy to say that Kelley’s collection is particularly relevant now, in the light of the BLM movement, but as he states in his preface, “An American writer who happens to have brown skin faces this unique problem: […] his readers begin to search fervently, and often with honest concern, for some key or answer to what is happening today between black and white people in America.” He goes on to say a writer “should depict people, not symbols or ideas disguised as people.” Kelley is a keen-eyed observer of the dynamics of race in America, and of course these issues are prevalent in his stories, but he is first and foremost a chronicler of human nature, able to build deeply convincing characters, and to use the short story form to create whole worlds in a few pages.
The opening story, ‘The Only Man on Liberty Street,’ is told from the third person view of a child, Jennie. Her father defies convention and comes to live with his mistress, Jennie’s mother. In ‘Enemy Territory,’ the story which follows, Jennie appears again, much older. The interlinking nature of these stories, in which characters recur at different stages in their lives, and with greater or lesser roles depending on the story, adds to the realism of the story world. The way in which Kelley dips in and out of generations gives a swooping, sweeping feeling of continuity which is comforting and unsettling in equal measures, for while there are changes, they are not always enough, and there are repeated patterns that circle back. As the reader becomes more familiar with characters such as Chig and Peter and Connie and Mance, watching them face all kinds of challenges, sometimes growing as people, sometimes coming up short, the complexity of Kelley’s skill as a writer is gradually revealed. This collection builds to something almost greater than a novel, and it has left me excited to see how A Different Drummer compares.
‘Not Exactly Lena Horne’ is one of my favourite stories in the collection: Wilfred and Stanton are friends who have decided to live together in their old age, and their relationship is poignantly and perfectly depicted in the way they are so familiar with each other’s irritating habits. As Stanton grows more and more frustrated with Wilfred’s hobby of spotting car license plates, a very real sense of tension is created between the two men, despite the humour of the situation. (A small gesture at the end of this story caused a particularly big pang, by the way). Other standouts for me were: ‘What Shall We Do with the Drunken Sailor?’, ‘Connie’ and ‘The Most Beautiful Legs in the World.’
Kelley is an outstanding writer, and I am so grateful to have been introduced to his work. I highly recommend this collection – for me, Kelley is right up there with the very best American short story writers I have read, and I can’t wait to read more of his books.
It is easy to say that Kelley’s collection is particularly relevant now, in the light of the BLM movement, but as he states in his preface, “An American writer who happens to have brown skin faces this unique problem: […] his readers begin to search fervently, and often with honest concern, for some key or answer to what is happening today between black and white people in America.” He goes on to say a writer “should depict people, not symbols or ideas disguised as people.” Kelley is a keen-eyed observer of the dynamics of race in America, and of course these issues are prevalent in his stories, but he is first and foremost a chronicler of human nature, able to build deeply convincing characters, and to use the short story form to create whole worlds in a few pages.
The opening story, ‘The Only Man on Liberty Street,’ is told from the third person view of a child, Jennie. Her father defies convention and comes to live with his mistress, Jennie’s mother. In ‘Enemy Territory,’ the story which follows, Jennie appears again, much older. The interlinking nature of these stories, in which characters recur at different stages in their lives, and with greater or lesser roles depending on the story, adds to the realism of the story world. The way in which Kelley dips in and out of generations gives a swooping, sweeping feeling of continuity which is comforting and unsettling in equal measures, for while there are changes, they are not always enough, and there are repeated patterns that circle back. As the reader becomes more familiar with characters such as Chig and Peter and Connie and Mance, watching them face all kinds of challenges, sometimes growing as people, sometimes coming up short, the complexity of Kelley’s skill as a writer is gradually revealed. This collection builds to something almost greater than a novel, and it has left me excited to see how A Different Drummer compares.
‘Not Exactly Lena Horne’ is one of my favourite stories in the collection: Wilfred and Stanton are friends who have decided to live together in their old age, and their relationship is poignantly and perfectly depicted in the way they are so familiar with each other’s irritating habits. As Stanton grows more and more frustrated with Wilfred’s hobby of spotting car license plates, a very real sense of tension is created between the two men, despite the humour of the situation. (A small gesture at the end of this story caused a particularly big pang, by the way). Other standouts for me were: ‘What Shall We Do with the Drunken Sailor?’, ‘Connie’ and ‘The Most Beautiful Legs in the World.’
Kelley is an outstanding writer, and I am so grateful to have been introduced to his work. I highly recommend this collection – for me, Kelley is right up there with the very best American short story writers I have read, and I can’t wait to read more of his books.
August 31, 2020
Originally published in 1964, Dancers on the Shore is a collection of interconnected short stories. Some of the stories are completely independent, while others can be seen as vignettes describing events that took place in the history of two African American families — the Dunfords and the Bedlows. And each of these vignettes center a particular member of that family and described events that took place at varying time points in their family history.
Just from reading the dedication I already felt like I would enjoy WMK’s writing and I was not wrong. I absolutely enjoyed this collection. The stories were imaginative, vivid and simply portrayed real people living their regular lives. I am a huge fan of interconnected short stories so it gets extra points for that. I found myself wishing some of the stories were longer because the plot and characters were very interesting. I just wanted more. So I will definitely be reading more of his books.
It’s difficult to pick a favourite from the collection, but I was particularly fond of 'Not Exactly Lena Horne’. It's a story about two elderly retired men who live together. One of them is obsessed with recording the city that a car’s plate number is from and he also makes up elaborate stories about the person in the car and where they might be going. However, the other one is really annoyed and tired of hearing about it. And that leads to some tension between them. It sounds very basic when I describe it, but trust me it was written so well and it was just different. The collection ends with the story ‘Cry For Me’, which is about a man that became a famous folk singer after moving to the North. This story was impeccable and leaves you thinking.
Just from reading the dedication I already felt like I would enjoy WMK’s writing and I was not wrong. I absolutely enjoyed this collection. The stories were imaginative, vivid and simply portrayed real people living their regular lives. I am a huge fan of interconnected short stories so it gets extra points for that. I found myself wishing some of the stories were longer because the plot and characters were very interesting. I just wanted more. So I will definitely be reading more of his books.
It’s difficult to pick a favourite from the collection, but I was particularly fond of 'Not Exactly Lena Horne’. It's a story about two elderly retired men who live together. One of them is obsessed with recording the city that a car’s plate number is from and he also makes up elaborate stories about the person in the car and where they might be going. However, the other one is really annoyed and tired of hearing about it. And that leads to some tension between them. It sounds very basic when I describe it, but trust me it was written so well and it was just different. The collection ends with the story ‘Cry For Me’, which is about a man that became a famous folk singer after moving to the North. This story was impeccable and leaves you thinking.
August 3, 2020
Now, this is the kind of short story collection I can get onboard with! I loved the insight into the various characters's lives and minds; most of them connected in some way or another and this is a feature I really appreciate in a short story collection. They are all separate stories but your characters are vaguely familiar to you; I found myself going, "oh yes, this must be the elder brother!"
How vividly he draws the picture, touching on human emotions, race, class and education. I enjoyed and believed in every single story. Some of them were funny, others sad. I'm not sure I can pick a favourite, the last one was powerful, but 'Not Exactly Lena Horne' may have an edge for me. It's about two elderly retired men who live together and one of them is obsessed with car registrations and logs them in books. He likes to guess where the cars are heading and makes up a little story 🤭The other chap is really fed up with it. But as it turns out, the cars are really the only topic they have.
"Massachusetts! You see that? Massachusetts. First one in a week. A secret service agent, the President's second cousin on his mama's side, going to check reports of a Russian submarine at Bay Shore." He spoke scanning his list.
"Will you shut up?"
An excellent collection which I thoroughly recommend. Thanks to riverrun books for the gifted copy.
Interesting fact: Kelley was in 2014 officially credited by the Oxford English Dictionary with coining the political term 'woke,' in a 1962 New York Times article entitled 'If You're Woke You Dig It'. And now that I find myself in possession of this knowledge, I shall do my best to casually slip it into conversation whenever the term comes up 🤭😌
How vividly he draws the picture, touching on human emotions, race, class and education. I enjoyed and believed in every single story. Some of them were funny, others sad. I'm not sure I can pick a favourite, the last one was powerful, but 'Not Exactly Lena Horne' may have an edge for me. It's about two elderly retired men who live together and one of them is obsessed with car registrations and logs them in books. He likes to guess where the cars are heading and makes up a little story 🤭The other chap is really fed up with it. But as it turns out, the cars are really the only topic they have.
"Massachusetts! You see that? Massachusetts. First one in a week. A secret service agent, the President's second cousin on his mama's side, going to check reports of a Russian submarine at Bay Shore." He spoke scanning his list.
"Will you shut up?"
An excellent collection which I thoroughly recommend. Thanks to riverrun books for the gifted copy.
Interesting fact: Kelley was in 2014 officially credited by the Oxford English Dictionary with coining the political term 'woke,' in a 1962 New York Times article entitled 'If You're Woke You Dig It'. And now that I find myself in possession of this knowledge, I shall do my best to casually slip it into conversation whenever the term comes up 🤭😌
April 11, 2025
Dancers on the Shore is a marvelous collection. In a better world, some of its stories would be canonized and read in schools. They’re short and stylistically straightforward, but they pack a wallop and are ripe for study. My favorites were “Aggie,” “Saint Paul and the Monkeys,” “What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor?”, “Connie,” “The Life You Save,” “A Good Long Sidewalk,” “The Most Beautiful Legs in the World,” and “Cry for Me.”
February 21, 2024
“So he’d seen all he wanted to see and there was no use going on with it.”
January 12, 2021
It was a joy, as ever, to return to William Melvin Kelley’s words. Upon finishing A Different Drummer back in 2018, I was left fused to its prose and its author – and this short story collection held everything I loved about the novel: its memorable characters, the clarity of its observations, and dialogue that was so concentrated and expertly stitched that it was heard more than it was read.
In this form, I was really able to see Kelley’s full breadth of talent at work. Every flavour of story – their differences and their similarities – each with a lens keenly focussed on issues surrounding class, age, and race. It is a collection that is, above all, brilliantly honest and utterly fair.
I cannot name a story I did not like in some way, but one that really stood out was The Poker Party. Sat on a mother’s knee, eyes just about peaking over the edge of a table, watching the grownups play their game through a haze of pipe smoke … I found this atmosphere, and the dynamic between its characters, so mesmerising that I ended up reading it twice. Another favourite was A Good Long Sidewalk – which I felt led me exactly where it wanted me, twisting towards an ending that lingered after reading, echo-like.
I have loved my time with this book, as I knew I would, and have since picked up a copy of A Drop of Patience, which is a novel set against the jazz scene of New York, following a boy who is set apart not only by his musical talent and race, but also his blindness … and if the last two books are anything to go by, I cannot wait to open this one up.
I would recommend Kelley’s work – with absolute confidence – to anybody. There is just something about the worlds he creates and the characters that inhabit them that is so universal. So human. Since being introduced to his work, I have read through the eyes of people I might not have done otherwise – and is that not the aim of any writer? To master that unwavering talent for telling stories that resonate no matter the subject, no matter the reader. That is Kelley’s gift.
In this form, I was really able to see Kelley’s full breadth of talent at work. Every flavour of story – their differences and their similarities – each with a lens keenly focussed on issues surrounding class, age, and race. It is a collection that is, above all, brilliantly honest and utterly fair.
I cannot name a story I did not like in some way, but one that really stood out was The Poker Party. Sat on a mother’s knee, eyes just about peaking over the edge of a table, watching the grownups play their game through a haze of pipe smoke … I found this atmosphere, and the dynamic between its characters, so mesmerising that I ended up reading it twice. Another favourite was A Good Long Sidewalk – which I felt led me exactly where it wanted me, twisting towards an ending that lingered after reading, echo-like.
I have loved my time with this book, as I knew I would, and have since picked up a copy of A Drop of Patience, which is a novel set against the jazz scene of New York, following a boy who is set apart not only by his musical talent and race, but also his blindness … and if the last two books are anything to go by, I cannot wait to open this one up.
I would recommend Kelley’s work – with absolute confidence – to anybody. There is just something about the worlds he creates and the characters that inhabit them that is so universal. So human. Since being introduced to his work, I have read through the eyes of people I might not have done otherwise – and is that not the aim of any writer? To master that unwavering talent for telling stories that resonate no matter the subject, no matter the reader. That is Kelley’s gift.
Want to read
February 20, 2022Read so far:
*The only man on Liberty Street --
Enemy territory --
*The poker party --
Not exactly Lena Horne --
Aggie --
*A visit to grandmother --
*Saint Paul and the monkeys.--
What shall we do with the drunken sailor? --
Christmas with the great man --
Connie --
The servant problem --
Brother Carlyle --
The life you save --
*A good long sidewalk --
The most beautiful legs in the world --
*Cry for me --
*The only man on Liberty Street --
Enemy territory --
*The poker party --
Not exactly Lena Horne --
Aggie --
*A visit to grandmother --
*Saint Paul and the monkeys.--
What shall we do with the drunken sailor? --
Christmas with the great man --
Connie --
The servant problem --
Brother Carlyle --
The life you save --
*A good long sidewalk --
The most beautiful legs in the world --
*Cry for me --
October 15, 2022
Came across this in the Short Stories section of my local library looking for inspiration for my own short story writing. Was drawn by the lyrical title and very much enjoyed this collection of stories, windows on lives often connected by family, coincidence or situation. They work well as separate pieces but the threads running subtly beneath pulled the individual pieces into a well constructed, beautifully written sequence - almost like a novel with chunks edited out. Would recommend.
May 25, 2021
I already knew I loved William Melvin Kelley's writing to pieces, and this collection only confirmed that. I've become even more impressed with Kelley's talent for capturing the human condition and establishing perfectly well-rounded characters in such a short amount of time. My favourite story out of this collection was probably 'Connie'.
February 12, 2021
A great collection of short stories that are based on particular members of a family. I learned about the author last fall and have since read everything by him that is available. Really enjoy his writing and the stories he tells.
January 29, 2021
A fantastic series of short stories which leave you wanting more.
February 2, 2021
What a writer! 17 short stories linked by reoccurring characters. He so brilliantly depicts both the said and unsaid emotions that are part of life.
June 14, 2022
A nice collection of stories with inter related characters. "Cry For Me" is my favorite although I happened to read it in a different anthology
April 26, 2023
What a gem!
August 25, 2023
A wonderful collection of short stories that form a whole where you get to know something about each member from two families whose lives are intertwined.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews