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Rendered Invisible: Stories of Blacks and Whites, Love and Death
"Thirteen dead black men, and nobody knows it happened," so says Johnny Smith, who sets out on a quest to make things right in the powerful novella that begins this collection - a masterpiece of collaged voices. Voice is urgent and significant--Dobson focuses throughout on the invisible and the unvoiced-he brings them to center stage, where they speak their pain and frustration. "Maybe we can revise history," one of his characters says; Dobson's book does just that.
Mary Grimm, novelist, professor, Case Western University
In entrancing prose that claims a place with writers as powerful as Ralph Ellison, James Baldwin, and John Edgar Wideman, Frank Dobson offers his own bold, subtle explorations of race and life in America. I sat down to skim a bit of his new book of stories, and ended up reading its central novella straight through. This narrative of the .22-Caliber killings in Buffalo - little known to most Americans-and the lives of blacks and whites caught up in those tense days makes for suspenseful, compelling reading.
Jeff Gundy, poet, professor, Bluffton University
Mary Grimm, novelist, professor, Case Western University
In entrancing prose that claims a place with writers as powerful as Ralph Ellison, James Baldwin, and John Edgar Wideman, Frank Dobson offers his own bold, subtle explorations of race and life in America. I sat down to skim a bit of his new book of stories, and ended up reading its central novella straight through. This narrative of the .22-Caliber killings in Buffalo - little known to most Americans-and the lives of blacks and whites caught up in those tense days makes for suspenseful, compelling reading.
Jeff Gundy, poet, professor, Bluffton University
- GenresFiction
148 pages, Paperback
First published March 15, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
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April 5, 2011A very important book, one which addresses contemporary issues of race and community. It also highlights important yet neglected American history.
February 20, 2023
Powerful, haunting, and at times, lyrically beautiful. Dobson has a way of digging deep, challenging the reader with emotional accuracy.
June 23, 2010
Cover:
This cover didn't really do it for me. I think if it was part of a series with the same cover layout, it would make more sense. But as someone who only saw the one, it doesn't scream "read me". The art on the front is really good, just wish there was more focus on it.
Storyline:
Wow. I actually went online to see if the .22 caliber killer was real. And just like the author says, there wasn't much publicity about this incident. Even now years later, few people have heard about it.
I really enjoyed this book. It not only told the story of the serial killer, but how it affected an entire community and its individual citizens. What really drew me in was that each chapter was told in a dialogue form. The people that actually lived it are re-telling the story and how they managed (or didn't) to continue their everyday lives.
Another important point the book dealt with was the disinterest by the media to cover the killings. The community gathers wondering how the killing of thirteen black men could not get any national attention. This is a topic which is still being debated on today, and will go on for quite some time. I found it an interesting read as to how things were dealt with in the '80's versus now in 2010, and how little has changed.
Overall:
I truly enjoyed this book and will recommend it to anyone who enjoys culture reading. The writing is easy to read and draws you into the story where you end up finding yourself shaken up by the events. Very well done.
This cover didn't really do it for me. I think if it was part of a series with the same cover layout, it would make more sense. But as someone who only saw the one, it doesn't scream "read me". The art on the front is really good, just wish there was more focus on it.
Storyline:
Wow. I actually went online to see if the .22 caliber killer was real. And just like the author says, there wasn't much publicity about this incident. Even now years later, few people have heard about it.
I really enjoyed this book. It not only told the story of the serial killer, but how it affected an entire community and its individual citizens. What really drew me in was that each chapter was told in a dialogue form. The people that actually lived it are re-telling the story and how they managed (or didn't) to continue their everyday lives.
Another important point the book dealt with was the disinterest by the media to cover the killings. The community gathers wondering how the killing of thirteen black men could not get any national attention. This is a topic which is still being debated on today, and will go on for quite some time. I found it an interesting read as to how things were dealt with in the '80's versus now in 2010, and how little has changed.
Overall:
I truly enjoyed this book and will recommend it to anyone who enjoys culture reading. The writing is easy to read and draws you into the story where you end up finding yourself shaken up by the events. Very well done.
December 1, 2015
This one's heavy.
Heavy, but honest. Frank E. Dobson's prosaic "Rendered Invisible: Stories of Blacks and Whites, Love and Death" is timeless in its tenacity and representation of the still-present racism lingering around the world. However, instead of decided to focus on the pain and insensitivity that typically accompanies tales of blatant racism, Dobson provides a slant on the emotions and stories of those affected.
We all know that the media is selective in what it decides 'news worthy' to share with the world. Dobson brings attention to one of the examples of a heinous crime that should have been on every television screen in America. Set in the 80's (one of my favorite decades), this collection of short stories is gritty in setting and dialogue alike. The true-life .22 Caliber killings rocked New York. A serial killer with racism as one of his chief motivators is the evil here, malicious with intent.
Dobson interestingly plays on the sometimes inherent racism that still exists in modern cities today. With a murderer who is bent on inciting a racial war by killing black men, each story here study different overarching life themes. Gender and class, as well as race, provide the crux of the tales, providing the reader with an intimate look into the people of a city rocked by violence and fear.
Dobson accomplishes that rare feat of uniting humanity in terms of the human condition instead of the color of one's skin. It's an important piece that will speak to all readers.
Like this review? Read more like it at www.readingotherpeople.com
Heavy, but honest. Frank E. Dobson's prosaic "Rendered Invisible: Stories of Blacks and Whites, Love and Death" is timeless in its tenacity and representation of the still-present racism lingering around the world. However, instead of decided to focus on the pain and insensitivity that typically accompanies tales of blatant racism, Dobson provides a slant on the emotions and stories of those affected.
We all know that the media is selective in what it decides 'news worthy' to share with the world. Dobson brings attention to one of the examples of a heinous crime that should have been on every television screen in America. Set in the 80's (one of my favorite decades), this collection of short stories is gritty in setting and dialogue alike. The true-life .22 Caliber killings rocked New York. A serial killer with racism as one of his chief motivators is the evil here, malicious with intent.
Dobson interestingly plays on the sometimes inherent racism that still exists in modern cities today. With a murderer who is bent on inciting a racial war by killing black men, each story here study different overarching life themes. Gender and class, as well as race, provide the crux of the tales, providing the reader with an intimate look into the people of a city rocked by violence and fear.
Dobson accomplishes that rare feat of uniting humanity in terms of the human condition instead of the color of one's skin. It's an important piece that will speak to all readers.
Like this review? Read more like it at www.readingotherpeople.com
November 29, 2015
This collection consists of five pieces of short fiction and a novella.
My reaction to the short fiction was a grab bag of thoughts and emotions, some of the pieces connecting well, helping me better understand how the life of a young, black man is different than it is for old white guys like me. At other times, the stories were too far from anything I could relate to well enough to understand. Either way, I found myself at times feeling uncomfortable, not because of the stories, but because they rang so true.
The meat of the book is the novella Rendered Invisible that lends its name to the collection as a whole. While fiction, this story is based on an actual serial killer responsible for several murders in Buffalo, New York. Known as the .22 Caliber Killings, this killer targeted young black men, primarily in the Buffalo area although he sometimes ventured farther afield. I'd previously read and reviewed a non-fiction, true crime book pertaining to this crime spree that had problems. I was primed for something better. This novella was well done, interspersing the actual facts surrounding the killings and the reactions of the public with the story of how one fictional character reacted. In the end, the fiction helped drive home the reality of the situation better than the truth ever could on its own.
**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **
My reaction to the short fiction was a grab bag of thoughts and emotions, some of the pieces connecting well, helping me better understand how the life of a young, black man is different than it is for old white guys like me. At other times, the stories were too far from anything I could relate to well enough to understand. Either way, I found myself at times feeling uncomfortable, not because of the stories, but because they rang so true.
The meat of the book is the novella Rendered Invisible that lends its name to the collection as a whole. While fiction, this story is based on an actual serial killer responsible for several murders in Buffalo, New York. Known as the .22 Caliber Killings, this killer targeted young black men, primarily in the Buffalo area although he sometimes ventured farther afield. I'd previously read and reviewed a non-fiction, true crime book pertaining to this crime spree that had problems. I was primed for something better. This novella was well done, interspersing the actual facts surrounding the killings and the reactions of the public with the story of how one fictional character reacted. In the end, the fiction helped drive home the reality of the situation better than the truth ever could on its own.
**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **
November 5, 2015
"Black man’s life is like a chess game: War." (11)
This book is a compilation of novellas centered on lives of black people. Writing was deftly political and poetic as the characters experienced joy and pain in the midst of social injustice and prejudice. The author's soulful and prevalent voice thunders across the pages that it's like you're hearing the speech of an activist at the podium. Frankly, this wore me down. I also didn't find the stories too appealing.
This book is a compilation of novellas centered on lives of black people. Writing was deftly political and poetic as the characters experienced joy and pain in the midst of social injustice and prejudice. The author's soulful and prevalent voice thunders across the pages that it's like you're hearing the speech of an activist at the podium. Frankly, this wore me down. I also didn't find the stories too appealing.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews