RSS
Home
The Long And Short of It: Debut Writers Make Their Mark With Short Story Collections
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Authors tend to emerge overnight. At least, that’s how it can appear to readers. Other writers take comfort knowing that successful authors such as John Grisham originally received multiple rejections before getting a deal with a small press; today, the idea of Grisham struggling as a new writer seems unbelievable. That debut novel, A TIME TO KILL, has since been made into a movie, with a star-studded cast that included Kevin Spacey, Matthew McConaughey, Sandra Bullock, Samuel L Jackson, Ashley Judd and Keifer Sutherland.
As part of an ongoing series titled Conversations With The Bookless –featuring writers with short stories that have been published in print and online - BSC Review included three interviews with writers who have published short story collections. The writers include Kyle Minor, who was nominated for a Spinetingler Award for Best Short Story for his disturbing tale, They Take You, which can be read online by following the link. Reviewer Brian Lindenmuth discusses Minor’s writing, and the impact it has upon the reader:
"For those that have been keeping up with the series, when the previous Conversations participants were asked the question, "Who is the best short story writer that people haven't gotten hip to yet?" time and time again, more than any other, one name rang out. That was Kyle Minor. I'm going to let you in on something, that way years from now, you can say that you got in on the ground level. Kyle Minor will be one of the great ones. His name will be one to remember, he will be relevant and he will craft masterpieces."
"He possesses the rare ability to write fiction that hurts; it hurts because the writing is so good that you find yourself re-reading parts; it hurts because the characters are aching in so many ways. It also hurts because he’s not afraid of having characters with emotions that are raw, complex and contradictory.”
The BSC series also features Claude Lalumière and John Weagly, both of whom were 
also nominated for Spinetingler Awards. Lalumière, who was for his story She Watches Him Swim, has gained critical acclaim for writing within the crime genre, but has published a collection of stories titled OBJECTS OF WORSHIP, which deals with gods and faiths.
Weagly’s short story collection, THE UNDERTOW OF SMALL TOWN DREAMS, was described by Locus as “located somewhere on the edges of Twain’s Territories, just downstream from Bradbury country, a touch east of, oh, that distinctive Nina Kiriki Hoffman map.” His Spinetingler-nominated short story, Wishing on Whores, can be read online here.
Weagly’s short story collection, THE UNDERTOW OF SMALL TOWN DREAMS, was described by Locus as “located somewhere on the edges of Twain’s Territories, just downstream from Bradbury country, a touch east of, oh, that distinctive Nina Kiriki Hoffman map.” His Spinetingler-nominated short story, Wishing on Whores, can be read online here.
Fans of the short story form should seek out the works of Minor, Lalumiere and Weagly, three talented writers who may not yet be household names, but have demonstrated remarkable skill with their debut works.
Related Articles:
Add a Comment
