Short Story Spotlight: North Country by Roxane Gay

I came upon today's story completely by accident. It is a story that refused to be overlooked. I listen to a podcast called Selected Shorts that features short stories read by actors, either from television and movies or Broadway. As I am way behind, I was catching up on shows from October. North Country by Roxane Gay moved me so much that I looked up the story and soon realized I have the book, The Best American Short Stories 2012, in which this story is published and I had read it before. There was something about hearing the story read with intense emotion and thoughtfulness for the content that made it finally resonate with me.

It is love story that doesn't mean to be a love story. It is more about how a woman named Kate overcomes the traumatic hardship of miscarrying a child and a cheating boyfriend and a promise no longer longed for. In the process, Kate also meets a simple man named Magnus and against her own reluctance, she falls in love with him.

The repetition of the opening paragraphs read like poetry and set a steady pace for the story. I absolutely loved the opening sentences: "I have moved to the edge of the world for two years. If I am not careful, I will fall." It is beautiful foreshadowing to her reluctance to live in Michigan, the place to which she moved to get away from her former love and life. Kate is a flawed character because she is hurting and has not come to terms with the magnitude of that hurt. So at each turn, she pushes Magnus away, while wanting to get closer to him and when they become too close for her comfort, she acts flippant toward their relationship and ultimately hurts his feelings. I was glad that Magnus had a backbone and didn't stick around when she downplayed who he was to her, because he could have tried harder, which is what happens sometimes in love stories. Instead, Magnus gave Kate space to realize her true feelings.

It is incredibly difficult to write well rounded character in a short story. The short form does not lend itself to character growth, but Gay made the most out of the sentences. Each character had their own personality, the main character, Kate, had her own sarcastic and clever voice, and she showed growth by the end.

The story cannot be found for free but you can listen to the Selected Shorts episode, Flash Forward, through iTunes. It was originally published in Hobart Issue 12 and I read it in The Best American Short Stories 2012. Until next time, happy reading!

Short Story Spotlight: Sexy by Jhumpa Lahiri

February, Valentine's Day, Love, the theme of the month. I'm starting off with "Sexy" by Jhumpa Lahiri, one of my favorite modern short story writers. I discovered this story through one of the many English classes I took in college. The story came at the end of the semester, almost a throwaway as it was right before finals. But it was one that stuck with me and I searched through my discarded papers and syllabi to find the name. Since then, I have read her collection of short stories, Interpreter of Maladies and the novel, The Namesake. I enthusiastically recommend both, but back to "Sexy".

"Sexy" is about Miranda, a young 22 year old, who has moved from Michigan to Boston. She begins an affair with a married man named Dev that she meets at a department store. As a comparison, Miranda's co-worker, Laxmi, has a cousin whose husband has left her and her son for a younger woman. Miranda seemed young and lonely and vulnerable. She enjoys the initial time spent with Dev while his wife is in India for a few weeks. They act as a real couple, spending most nights together, before Dev has to get home in the early morning to speak with his wife. They go out on dates. Miranda even buys a slinky silver cocktail dress to wear out on the next date. However, the next date never comes. The wife arrives back home and Dev can only visit Miranda on Sundays during the day for a few hours; his excuse is that he's running.

Miranda develops an interest in Dev, his Indian background and culture. Shortly after they meet and sleep together, Miranda asks many questions about where Dev is from, where his wife is visiting, and ultimately his wife. She goes as far as to seek out the cover of a video to see the actress Dev says his wife resembles.  She gets his favorite Indian food for their lovemaking sessions. She learns how to spell her name in Bengali, his native language, spending hours trying to get the unfamiliar letters just right. I wonder if Miranda does all of this because she feels weird or self-conscious for dating outside her race. Or, perhaps, to overcome the guilt she felt for her apathetic treatment of the only Indian family in her neighborhood growing up. 

One Saturday, Miranda is tasked with babysitting Laxmi's cousin's son, Rohin. Rohin shows saddening signs of his parent's impending divorce and Miranda can deny him nothing. When he rifles through her closet and uncovers the slinky cocktail dress and he insists that Miranda tries it on. At first, she is reluctant, but she eventually changes into the dress, to which Rohin calls her sexy. Since he is only seven years old, she demands to know what he thinks the word means. He says, "It means loving someone you don't know." A word he has surely picked up from his parents fighting and has derived his own meaning. Finally, Miranda sees the parallels between the affairs and the affair comes to an uneventful end.

This story is one of favorites, merely for being an apt introduction to Jhumpa Lahiri. It showcases her unique voice and ability to weave her Indian background masterfully through each page and story. I'm sure my early 20 something year old self read it as a love story, just as teenagers read Romeo & Juliet as epic love. But now I see the reality of it; an affair that awakens interest outside of one's own world, but lacks depth beyond sex and physical intimacy. 

There's a scene set in the Mapparium at the Christian Science Center in Boston and it's worth mentioning because holy crap is it beautiful. I could fall in love in a place like that too.

I like short stories with a natural and basic story progression without the feeling of a condensed novel. It's so rare and hard to do. The story can be found here, but I recommend (again) getting the whole collection. 

They is: Bullet in the Brain

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I chose this story because it not only goes with the unfinished business series and the theme of murder with the next short story and The Name of the Rose, but also because this is one of my favorite short stories.

The title and plot of the story may seem ominous but it's really not about the events that unfold; it's more about the main character, Anders. Bullet in the Brain by Tobias Wolff is a short read, but it's one of those that I admire for packing so much life into the story. Here's a short summary: Anders is shot in the head after he antagonizes a bank robber during a robbery (trust me, it goes more interesting than this. You should really read it for yourself). The rest of the story is what doesn't and ultimately what does come to Anders' mind as the bullet travels through his brain.

I really like how the story is written because you get the details of the character's life and therefore, more about who he is as a person, outside this isolated but pivotal moment in his life. What Anders doesn't think about is just as important as what he thinks about while dying. I made a connection between what leads to Anders' death and his last thought. Anders dies making fun of the bank robber's speech, but his last thought is from his childhood, the innocence of a grammatical error, in which he took delight. It reminds me how the main character's last word "Rosebud" in Citizen Kane is meant to be in remembrance of a simpler time. Also I like how the events of his life are described non linear because our memory does not operate in sequence.

Bullet in the Brain is one of those stories you want to read again and again for how well-crafted it is. I have immense respect for the piece; I was interested in the main character and what was revealed about his life and personality in a short space. It can be found here and here. 

Break Out: The Yellow Wallpaper

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The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is an eye opening story about a woman that goes into a brief psychosis after having a baby. The woman was diagnosed with what is commonly known now as postpartum depression and prescribed rest and limited stimulation from any work. The story is written like journal entries from the narrator, which she had sneak to write. The story is actually semi-biographical, as the author went through a similar ordeal after she had a baby.

Women of the late 1800s suffered from too little stimulation while women of today suffer from too much stimulation. Working women are only granted twelve weeks of unpaid maternity leave, through the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). This can't be enough time for a mother to spend with her newborn baby. In addition, with the leave being unpaid, many women can't afford to take the whole leave and miss three months of pay. Many people in general are beginning to feel the effects of over-stimulation from working long hours for unfair wages in jobs that they don't like. The disruption of the American Dream and middle class ambitions is the result of businesses not providing raises to meet the increase of living costs.

My point being, times have changed and we have new social issues to tackle, yet how they affect us has remained the same. Thankfully, how we deal with these issues have changed somewhat. Postpartum depression is at least a widely recognized disease that is researched. The story has a hand in bringing to attention the inadequacies of the treatment of postpartum depression and general depression in women. The men, who are doctors, in the story are supportive, but condescending about the woman's condition. She tries to tell them about how she feels, but they act as if they know best and discounts what she says, instead encouraging their agenda. In turn, the woman hides her feelings and I think this is what furthers her psychosis. Her obsession with freeing the women from the yellow wallpaper reflects her need to be free and she eventually sees herself as a woman broken free from the wallpaper.

The story can be found here or here. Happy reading everyone, until next time. 

Beauty, Youth, Intrigue Go On... The Picture of Dorian Gray

What better way to start this reading challenge than with books I've started in the past but never completed.

I attempted to read The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde a couple of years ago while I was unemployed. I had just graduated from college and thought-why not read a classic while I'm looking for a job. I got halfway through the book before I put it down for another (I read books one at a time), which is rare for me. Normally, if I get halfway through the book and still dislike it, I would suffer through the last half, even if it is slow going. It wasn't that I didn't like The Picture of Dorian Gray. In reading it again, I remembered that the middle of the story was so flat with useless description and that the rest of the story was not as well paced and full of action as the first half. I liked the first half of the book because most of the action and central ideas unfolded in lengthy, purposeful dialogue. However, the second half of the book is almost all details like a summary of Dorian Gray's life.

Nevertheless, I was excited to read the book again. During the first failed reading, I was taken in by the critique of beauty and indulgence and youth. It is a dangerous story to read when you're young because you could be swayed to believe that youth and indulgence is all that matters as indulgence is a symptom of youth. We can see the negative ramifications of all three in some of our young celebrities, which is more of an indictment on society than it is on them.

Recently, I read on Wiki that Basil was how Oscar Wilde saw himself, Lord Henry Wotten was how the world perceived him, and Dorian was how he wanted to be (or arguably how everyone wants to be). After reading his background, the comparison is apt. It also explains the in-depth characterization of all three. All of the characters are unchanged by the end. Lord Henry still has amoral views that he shares with wild abandonment and finds it entertaining to influence others. Dorian Gray is still corrupted and selfish; even in his attempt to be good, he is ruthless. He shows little remorse for his crimes and the effects of his egotistical deeds. In the end, he still cares more about his own soul.

I'm glad I finished the story. All in all, it is a good book to read for well written prose. I liked the action cues in the dialogue, such as a character saying don't look at me like that or I can see you're annoyed, instead of using adjectives outside of the dialogue like what is commonly seen. I'm also glad I started with this book to get myself accumulated to classic writing. Also, I wondered how the rule that Dorian Gray couldn't see his painting came to be in modern films because it is an important element in the story. The painting gives Dorian Gray pleasure in the beginning as he sees how his decadence poisons his soul.

I actually read this book for free through Project Gutenberg. It is in the public domain. It's a great non-profit and you can find thousands of free classic books and short stories. Donate if you can. You can friend me on Goodreads to see what I'm currently reading and the books I have on my challenge list (under books I should read) so far.

Short Story Spotlight: Everything that Rises Must Converge

First, I must say that is such a great title. I love the title more than anything. Everything that Rises Must Converge by Flannery O'Connor references a work called Omega Point by Pierre Tielhard de Chardin: "Remain true to yourself, but move ever upward toward greater consciousness and greater love! At the summit you will find yourselves united with all those who, from every direction, have made the same ascent. For everything that rises must converge." (Source) Learning this makes me love the title even more and explains the sentiment of the story better.

Everything that Rises Must Converge is the story of Julian, a recent college graduate who is an aspiring writer but instead sells typewriters. He has begrudgingly agreed to accompany his mother to her exercise class at the YMCA because she is afraid to travel alone on the bus at night since integration has been introduced to their city. Julian has such a deep disdain for his mother because of her bigoted views and refusal to change them. She asserts that she knows who she is and that is all that matters. Julian also dislikes her for playing the martyr in his life; she has an elevated sense of self that does not match her circumstances because she thinks it's "fun to struggle" so that one can look back on the hard times with a hearty laugh when one has moved past them. The mother shares camaraderie with two other women on the bus in her views of black people before a black man comes on to the bus and then soon after a black woman and her son.

It is unfortunate that race problems are present today with certain people refusing to acknowledge the fact racism still exists. The story shows that racism exists in an elevated sense of self and lack of compassion and understanding and small moments in daily life that balloon to larger issues. The idea black people are dangerous and should be controlled influences how people interact on public transportation and in stores and on the street at night and is the same intrinsic thought internalized by police officers who shoot innocent black people.

I love when a story can have different meanings depending on what's going on in your life. As Julian says, "Knowing who you are is good for one generation only." Regrettably during this read, I saw myself in the jaded recent college graduate, Julian, who had learned too much about life through observation  rather than living. The story was also a reminder that the relationship between history, present, and future in the world has similarities and change. The story was published in 1965, yet ideas of the world being a mess and young people just needing time in the story can be heard today. I just realized that young people don't need time to change themselves all the time; sometimes they just need time for the world to change and catch up to them.

A PDF of the story can be found here. Hope you enjoy it!

Short Story Spotlight: The Wife of His Youth

I'm currently reading The Picture of Dorian and it is the book I will talk about later (hopefully next week), but since I'm not done with it yet, I'm talking about a short story.

This story was chosen to go along with the upcoming Unfinished Business Series. It is a story I read in college and remembered for its racial themes. The Wife of His Youth was written by Charles W. Chesnutt, a black man born during slavery, though slavery ended when he was 9 years old. The short story is a reflection of racial identity and racial complexity in the Black community after the Civil War. The main character, Mr. Ryder, is a member of a group called The Blue Vein Society, who have appointed themselves the knowledgeable leaders of the Black community. Their supposed purpose is to improve Black lifestyles after the Emancipation, but truly the group is in place to elevate and separate the affluent Black professionals of mixed race from the poorer people of darker skin (only people that have visible blue veins are allowed in). It is an extension of the roles carried out during slavery (Black people of lighter skin given better opportunities than those of darker skin). Mr. Ryder, especially, believes in distancing oneself from the black race in favor for the white race because of the opportunities the latter can offer.

In the course of the story, Mr. Ryder is faced with a conundrum; to acknowledge his past or ignore it to maintain his social standing. I couldn't help but to make parallels between Mr. Ryder and Bill Cosby as I read. To be honest, I'm tired of talking about it and seeing others talk about it. For me, this is no longer about whether or not he has done what he is accused of, because I stand on the side of numerous victimized women, but Bill Cosby being accountable for his actions. Bill Cosby has been rather harsh in his opinion about the black family and youths so let's not idolize the man as we do his lovable television dad counterpart. Bill Cosby is being faced with the same choice of Mr. Ryder; to recognize past actions or ignore them.

But I digress back to the story...

A further description would take away from the simplistic, but moving way the story is told. The pleasure of reading the story is in the buildup and reveal. Initially I loved The Wife of His Youth because of the storytelling. It is the basic story structure done well and in a slightly different order. If you like, you can read the story here. Then come back to this post or email me (my email can be found in the editing services section) and tell me what you thought of it.

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Happy New Year! An Introduction

Today marks the beginning of a new year and reading challenge.

Here's a little background on me:

In 2014, I got my first full-time job after a year of unemployment. I worked at a mortgage company barely making over minimum wage. While I was grateful for the job, I soon realized it wouldn't give me the independence I craved since returning home from college. 2015 was a year of hopefulness and let-downs, stress and depression, and revelation and freedom. A serendipitous add on LinkedIn by a freelance editor, who had graduated from the same college as I, and a well timed "promotion" made me realize that my interests and skills were being wasted and I quit my job in August 2015. I lost myself in a misguided determination to have an "adult" job and be an "adult". I had succeeded in making myself miserable. The only reason why I ultimately quit was because my depression outgrew my fear of unemployment and the unknown.

For the past four months, I've been rediscovering me by doing things that I loved to do but hadn't had the energy or time to do when I worked. I bought a few cookbooks and tried multiple recipes with delicious results. I enjoyed time spent with my boyfriend, family, and friends. Perhaps, most importantly, I've written. Writing has been a passion of mine since I was a child. I participated in a short story writing month, which got me into the habit of writing. Also during this time, I realized what I wanted to do with my skills; edit. I have always had a knack for grammar through attention to detail and being an eager reader and diligent writer. However, I knew that wasn't enough to offer services. So I studied rules of grammar and practiced identifying errors. I also bought a subscription to the Chicago Manual of Style and continue to study. I feel like my life, especially this past year, has led me here.

This blog is to advertise my editing services and discuss the books I'm reading. Please leave comments. As my mother and boyfriend will tell you, I love conversing about the things I learn.

You can friend me on Goodreads to see what I'm currently reading and the books I have on my challenge list (under books I should read) so far.