"The Other Side of the Hedge" by E.M. Forster: A Short Story Saturday Post

It's time for Short Story Saturday! Today's story, "The Other Side of the Hedge" by E.M. Forster, can be read for free here in about 10 minutes or less. I hope you'll read it and share your thoughts with me!

Forster's short story is striking commentary on the drive towards a preconceived notion of success. It also makes me think of times in life when things were in limbo like after highschool when I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do. The protagonist is shocked when the the other side of the hedge leads nowhere: "But it must lead somewhere!" Sometimes there is such pressure (as often self-imposed as not) to proove we are progressing on a prescribed track that it leaves little room for exploration. The man is so consumed with making progress, so focussed on tracking his steps, that he can't see he's been going around in circles and not truly advancing. He's also abandoned relationships with those he viewed as competition.

Though not my favorite short story nor favorite Forster text, "The Other Side of the Hedge" can get you thinking critically about what you're doing and why you're doing it. And if a text as short as this can accomplish that then it gets a thumbs up from me.

Review: The Library Card by Jerry Spinelli

Creativity without direction, privilege without motivation, difficulty grieving, fear of isolation - these phrases define four children who are changed by a chance encounter with a library card. It’s blue, it’s plain and unmarked but somehow each child knows that the card is special. It appears at critical moments in their lives when things could easily turn for worse if no one, or nothing, intervenes. The card’s magical properties draw them to libraries they never knew existed where they encounter books and people who make a difference in their lives. In turn, the children begin to touch the lives of those around them. The Library Card is a sweet if somewhat dated homage to the power of books and librarians in the world of children.

Publisher: Scholastic, 1997     Pages: 148
Rating: 3 Stars     Source: IC Public Library

Review: In the Land of the Lawn Weenies by David Lubar

This is one of the most beat up books I’ve ever seen at my library. A large chunk of the cover’s right corner is missing. The spine is fraying. And there is an unidentifiable substance staining the end pages. In short: this book is being loved to death. If you have reluctant readers or want quick stories to read after recess In the Land of the Lawn Weenies may be just what you’re looking for.

In the Land of the Lawn Weenies is a collection of funny, outlandish and spine-chilling short stories for kids aged 9-12.  An enchanted battle ax transforms its bearer into a monomaniac intent on slaughter. Bullies are forced to face their worst nightmares. A substitute teacher revolts against jeering pupils. With its kafkaesque distortion of reality tempered with Lubar’s humor, this book will have kids laughing during the day but plugging in their nightlights before bed.

Publisher: Starscape, 2003.     Pages: 240
Rating: 4 Stars     Source: IC Public Library

Short Story Saturday: The Door by E.B. White

So, you think you know E.B. White, huh? Charlotte’s Web. Stuart Little. Both classic children’s stories. Who doesn’t love Wilbur? Well, creativity knows no bounds. Prepare yourself for an entirely different side of this beloved American author.

“The Door” by E.B. White (1899-1985) It should take about 7-8 minutes to read.

After reading the story what do you feel? What do you think? What are the words that come to mind?

Are you feeling confused? Perhaps a bit uneasy? Maybe even chuckling to yourself or thinking “huh, what was that?” Then not to worry. You totally got the story.

White takes us through a tormented mind and makes the reader experience the madness of the character. The reader begins to go crazy trying to keep up with the shifting point of view as the male protagonist describes modern life as a rat maze. We have so many choices but how real is our control? Can the chaos of life be conquered? Is reality what we make of it or, is reality out there regardless of whether or not we see clearly - that curb coming up to meet our foot? This story, first published in The New Yorker in 1939, is a great example in the shift from modernism to postmodernism in literature.

Not your average barnyard tale is it? I hope you enjoyed “The Door.” I’d love to hear your thoughts on the story!

50 Great Short Stories, pages 348-353. 

Publisher: Bantam Classics, 2005

Source: Purchased from Amazon

"The End of Books" by Octave Uzanne: A Short Story Saturday Feature

There's been speculation that the physical book as we know it is on its way out. What with Kindles, audio books and the plethora of articles online, sometimes it feels like print could disappear and the world would still function. This is an issue my classmates and I have been discussing and it hits a tender nerve with me. Honestly, I think it's going to be a long time before digital resources could be in the position to trump print. I have my reasons which we'll begin to explore today and more so in my next post.

This man started it all. Johannes Gutenberg's movable type press, invented in 1439, lead the way to the mass production of books that we revel in today. Many thanks Johannes! Print's role as King of Text has been challenged for quite some time. The print vs. digital saga we're experiencing now is just another skirmish in an ongoing battle for textual dominance. Would it surprise you to to know that people have been thinking about this issue for over a hundred years?

Octave Uzanne  (1851-1931) was a French bibliophile, author, journalist and book snob extraordinaire (see link for photos of his lavish books). If you're a book lover or intrigued by the print vs. digital issue, I think you will enjoy this short story.

I give you "The End of Books."

My Reactions: 

I was surprised at how accurate some of Uzanne’s predictions were. Of course, the phonograph with wax cylinders did not last long. But the idea for audio books is there which I found interesting. However, Uzanne pokes fun at the idea of audio books. He suggests people can’t be bothered to strain their eyes to read (or they’re just too lazy to read) so they listen to books instead. What do you all think of this idea? Do audio books offer the exact same experience that reading a book does? I’ve often wondered about this (hmm… maybe I should research this topic!). What is the same? What is different?

New media brings new possibilities and challenges. Edison’s phonograph made recording audio possible. Uzanne envisions authors becoming narrators and since anybody can talk anybody can record – good writers or not! Surely the quality of self-published material will be far inferior to anything recognized by peers and published by a respectable publishing house. Right? Or, no? What about blogging? Isn’t it the same concept – anybody can publish whether they’re good at creating content or not. Unlike Uzanne, I’ve never bemoaned this fact. I find it exciting that more and more people can reach a greater audience though self-publishing efforts. Good content will, in time, find more readers and the not-so-good content will find less readers. Marketing strategies aside, I think it’s that simple.

What I agree/disagree on with Uzanne:

• Agree: Other forms of textual media will rise that will become popular (like audio books and e-readers) but they will not utterly replace the book. 
• Agree: The mass production of books means many will be created that are not meant to last.
• Disagree: The mass production of anything less than “literature” of the highest quality will lead to the doom of man’s intelligence! Smart people are naturally drawn to nerdy, smart things and won’t stop because someone wrote, and they read, a subpar book (example: I read and relatively enjoyed Twilight. No, my brain has not quit working).
• Agree: Print is a large, integral part of our industry and will not be snuffed out in only a few years because new media emerged. Even though bookstores have been closing (we are in a recession after all), book publishers are hanging in there and still produce large numbers of physical books.
• Agree: The aesthetic experience of holding and reading a book cannot be duplicated. Either it’s paper or it isn’t.
• Disagree: Author as publisher means too much bad literature! Author as publisher means more good literature (that might never have surfaced under other circumstances).

For all Uzanne’s foresight he does not envision the complicated digital world we live in today. My posts live online (via the server who stores them for me) and in a document file on my computer. I have no physical copies. Will Blogger store my blog posts for the next 10 years, my lifetime, forever? What if my computer crashes and I lose all my documents? What about online articles and ebooks?

Keep an eye out for "The Saga of Print vs. Digital Continued." Today’s post scratched the surface of why digital resources are not ready to act as King of Text. In my follow up post I’ll discuss exactly why digital media are not yet trustworthy enough to store all of planet Earth’s information as well as ongoing efforts to remedy this issue.

This has been a Short Story Saturday feature. Happy reading!

Short Story Saturday: "Something Sweet"

The past two Short Story Saturdays have featured the writings of dead white guys. This week is going to be very different in that we will be reading a short story by a woman and an amateur writer. Reading amateur writing is a hit and miss experience for me (well, so is reading "professional writing!"). However, I really enjoyed this story when I found it. I hope you will, too!

"Autumn / Something Sweet / ...Oh, who knows?" was written by Linda Foster and posted May 28, 2010 on Scribophile which is a website that encourages people to write and critique each other's work. The story should take about 10 minutes to read. I don't personally know Linda. I found her story by chance.

--------------------- Spoiler Alert! ---------------------

This short story is exactly what I think of when I think "short story." It is very short, just over 1,000 words, and spends a great deal of time building up to a revelation. I don't know about you guys, but I did not see the end coming.

An important aspect of short stories is diction or word choice. "Something Sweet" requires very careful diction so as not to reveal the surprise until just the right moment. Linda creates action, suspense and setting by focusing on the man's emotions: "With concerted effort, I waited patiently for her to work her way to where I was stationed, near to the back of the store" (emphasis added). His reactions are almost stereotypically vulgar - the ogling and desire - and exactly the kind of attention we suspect this cougar wants.

But what do we know? This woman isn't on the prowl - she's just shopping. And this man isn't hitting on every skirt in the store - he's really just a Teddy Bear! What does this Teddy tell us about humanity? This story reveals how being single is just as normal as being in a hot-and-heavy relationship. Our culture bombards us with messages of romance - soap opera romances, the ideal marriage, the celebrity affairs, passion here, passion there, passion on every channel - but these passionate moments are brief and not the pinnacle of life, or are they?

Love is the greatest thing about life. But what about the rest of life? What about those less-passionate days. Aren't they just as important? What about single people? They lead interesting lives, too. What about the day you climbed that mountain, got that promotion, took that chance that turned out. Or what about that time you made someone's day, received a pat on the back or bought that great bargain? These are the small victories that make every day special.

Love takes many forms. Here we have a passionate woman, living her life passionately - just not the Hollywood version. Her apartment may be messy and maybe she's not a great cook. But she's not in an abusive relationship. She's not wallowing in loneliness. She does have a job and supports herself. And she seems happy.

I hope "Something Sweet" made you smile. Tell me what you thought and happy reading!

Short Story Saturday: "The Man Higher Up" by O. Henry

For today’s Short Story Saturday I read “The Man Higher Up” by O. Henry. This is the first work I’ve read by O. Henry (pen name for William Sydney Porter, 1862-1910) and I was very impressed. Why I’ve never read anything by this American author before is a mystery. In school it was all Faulkner and Hemingway who are fine and dandy but honestly, I thought “The Man Higher Up” demonstrates as much skill as the other two authors and was more enjoyable to read.

For your reading pleasure, here’s the full text of “The Man Higher Up.” It’s about a 10-15 minute read. 

Which is worse: Wall Street speculation or plain old fashioned burglary? This is the story’s premise.

What I enjoyed about “The Man Higher Up”:

•    The work captures the hierarchical nature of society and points out that even “degenerates” have their classes.
•    The irony, sarcasm and word-play are great fun.
•    The point of view is masterfully crafted. We have an unknown narrator sharing a conversation he had with a friend, Jeff Peters. Peters tells his long story to this narrator. So, we get a wonderfully distorted first-person narrative. And it works.
•    The dialog is smart, witty and creates one-of-a-kind characters.
•    The “surprise ending,” for which O. Henry is known, brings the story full-circle and gave me a nice chuckle.

I highly recommend this short story and I’ll be keeping my eye out for O. Henry in the future. If you’ve read the story, what did you think of it?

I read this story from an anthology, 50 Great Short Stories, pages 181-193. 

Publisher: Bantam Classics, 2005

Source: Purchased from Amazon

Short Story Saturday: A New Feature in which we read Araby

Welcome to Short Story Saturday!

Short stories are often neglected in favor of the novel but short stories can be just as fun, interesting and challenging as their longer counterpart. Whether you already love short stories, have never read one before or fall somewhere in between, I hope you will consider joining me each weekend to read and explore these literary  nuggets!

Today’s short story is “Araby,” a classic by James Joyce. The full text can be read for free here. But before we delve into the text let’s consider just what a short story is.

What is a Short Story?
    The jury is still but here are some generalizations:
    The Short Story…
•    Can be read in one sitting; is more than 500 but less than 20,000 words long
•    Often captures a moment – much like a photograph
•    Is traditionally fiction
•    Reveals character and conflict quickly
•    Requires careful diction (word choice) because there’s limited space to get meaning across
•    Generally has a single focus (whereas a novel may have several)
•    Often ends with a revelation or epiphany

A Brief History of the Short Story
    Anecdotes –> Parables –> Fables (like Aesop’s) –> Tales (including fairy tales) –> Short Stories!

Questions to Think About When Reading a Short Story:
•    What is left off the page, what is implied/ unresolved?
•    What are possible outcomes, what might happen if the story continued?
•    Is there allegory, symbol, epiphany?

If you haven’t already, go ahead and read through “Araby.” It’s very short and shouldn’t take you more than 10 minutes. My approach to “Araby” is more of an analysis so I’ll assume you’ve read it or, in other words, expect spoilers.

As you may know, “Araby” is part of a collection called Dubliners (1914) in which Joyce attempts to reveal the average life of the Irish. Joyce is the master of epiphany – a moment in which a character has a revelation or illumination. His aim is to portray the Irish middle class as realistically as he can. Joyce is also a writer from the Modern Period (1914-1945 or WWI-WWII).  For more info on the Modern Period in English and American literature check out this Wikipedia page.

By the way, this analysis was part of a paper I wrote so don’t steal my ideas! 

Typical of a short story, there is a lot going on. Joyce does a lot of contrasting. Did you find any symbols or contrasting elements? What about that apple tree in the garden? The dead priest? The rusty bicycle pump?

There are several romantic elements contrasted with anti-romantic elements.
Romantic elements:
•    Exploration   
•    Watching the girl through the blinds
•    Imagining she was with him
•    Girl as a Virgin Mary image (remember when she’s lit up from behind?) that the boy exalts and worships
•    High expectations for the bazaar

Anti-Romantic Elements:
•    Drunken men at the market
•    Cheapening of the bazaar – counting money is a trivialization of love, silly flirtation between the salesgirl and boys
•    Bicycle pump is rusted and disused (an impotent phallic image associated with the priest?)
•    Air is musty, ashy and cold
•    Girl as a sex object

The place, people and pervading mood in Joyce’s “Araby” do not appear conducive to happiness or hope. Yet the adolescent protagonist clings to these emotions despite the stark realities of life around him. He thinks he is untouched by the gloom that abounds and that he is somehow not subject to the elements surrounding his life.

The opposite sex and romance is a mystery to him. He forms his notion of romance from his observations of a friend’s sister. He takes notice of the way she moves her body and watches her dress swing. He follows her from a distance, almost like a stalker. He received no encouragement in his infatuation but he makes himself believe he has found love. He mistakes his infatuation for the girl as something sacred which he is protecting and using to strengthen himself. The boy pushes aside all calls to reality in order to maintain his delusion of romance.

He sets off for Araby, the bazaar, full of expectation and desire. He has built up the bazaar as he built up his infatuation for the girl – both a figment of his imagination. The bazaar does not satisfy his expectations because the show is over and nothing is left but the architecture. He sees how arbitrary and meaningless it really is. He hears the vendors speaking with English accents and realizes he doesn’t belong. He is Irish and poor.

He sees how he deceived himself even though everything around him was ordinary, unmagical and even ugly. He says, “Gazing up into the darkness I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger” (41). He realizes the absurdity of his infatuation with the girl and the bazaar. He becomes disillusioned and realizes he saw what he wanted to see when his picture of romance could not function in reality. He couldn’t force his illusion to work outside his home where he could not control the environment. Hopes and dreams do not always actualize and reality must be dealt with. The boy is angered at himself for being so vain as to think his hope alone could change his world. It is a painful but also maturing experience.

So, what did you think of the story? Did you like it, did it strike a chord? Was it too dark? Does it end well? Did you want to cry, laugh? Is there hope in this story?

I feel something different almost every time I read “Araby.” Sometimes I feel bad for the boy because he’s poor. Other times I can’t get over how silly he was about the girl. Sometimes I can feel Joyce’s disillusionment with the Catholic faith and at other times I just think the religious symbols are convenient. I also love how Joyce personifies the houses! I think he may be the first to give houses “faces.” Anyone know differently?  At first, I used to think the story was very dark. But the last line always makes me smile. Don’t we all have similar moments when we feel the fool?

Well, this was a heavy post and probably not something to expect from every Short Story Saturday. I’ll try to choose at least a couple stories each month that are available for free online so you can read with me if you want. Happy Reading!

Review: The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie

I’ve been waiting a few days to write my review for this book. It left me with an odd feeling that I’m still not quite sure how to translate into words. Did I like it, how did it make me feel, what did I learn? I’ve been asking myself these questions but Alexie doesn’t make them easy for me to answer. There’s a lot to digest.

The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven is a short story collection by Native American author Sherman Alexie. The text revolves around several characters living around the Spokane Indian Reservation but focuses primarily on Victor, Thomas and Norma. There are several themes explored in the text but the main thrust seems to be a quest to present what it means to be Native American in the 20th century (the text was published in 1993).

My first and lingering impression of this text is that it marks Alexie’s early writing career. There’s a lot of angst coming through the words. It seems as if he had much to express, much that he wanted the world to hear and there’s fingers pointing every which way which left me feeling dizzy. And it comes across rather loud and in your face. I think Alexie’s later works reflect similar messages but with a lot more skill. That isn’t to say this work isn’t skillful. No, Alexie’s got skill by the bucket loads. Rather, his later works show a honed skill.

These stories are powerful in their representation of Indian life. There’s a lot of conflict – between father and son, between urban and reservation Indians, between white culture and reservation culture. Alexie confronts the stereotype of alcoholic Indians. I thought it was interesting how Victor is shown before he begins drinking as full of promise and hope and after he begins drinking his hopefulness and positive outlook disappears. Most of the men on the reservation succumb to alcohol. Victor and his friends seem to lose their cultural identity when they become alcoholic, or in other words, they take on a new cultural identity – one that feeds stereotypes and doesn’t reflect Native American traditions. In one story, Victor is involved in a car accident and the white authorities are shocked he isn’t drunk. It is the small victories like these that offer hope.

I’m still not sure how to answer my initial questions. It was a worthwhile read. I recommend it to people interested in or unfamiliar with Native American life, cultural studies or a general interest in anthropology. 
Publisher: Harper, 1994    Pages: 223   
Rating: 3.5 Stars                 Source: used bookstore.

War Dances by Sherman Alexie

A collection of short stories and poems, War Dances regards serious subjects (like death, race, sex and marriage) in a humorous light. This is the second Alexie book I’ve read and I appreciate his clairvoyance and directness. He is not afraid to offend in jest or for real and I actually enjoy authors who don’t beat around the bush but lay things out in the open, even if I don’t agree with (what I think is) “the message.” In War Dances, Alexie captures the multifaceted culture of the U.S. like no author I've read so far. Alexie fans will like War Dances and if you’re new to Alexie jump in and read this. He's one of today's authors you need to try out.

Favorites: “The Limited,” Breaking and Entering, War Dances, “Roman Catholic Haiku.”
Disliked: The Senator’s Son and The Ballad of Paul Nonetheless
                              
Publisher: Grove Press, 2009    Pages: 209
Rating: 4 stars     Source: Personal Copy
Other Alexie Reads: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian: 5 stars, YA Novel