A vivid lot of characters, each worthy of the utmost compassion or contempt—or perhaps both—inhabit this debut collection. A Bible-beating preacher of the literal kind, a tattoo-covered man who plies dead armadillos with empty beer cans, a mother bent on retaliating against her daughter's attacker, and scores of other obsessive and temperamental personalities wander and collide in this striking collection. Running throughout the book is the recurrent theme of denial, or unshakable naiveté, in the face of disaster and its inevitable consequences. Anchored by the last piece, a cinematic, suspenseful account of a young attorney and her jealous lovers—these tales deliver a hard-hitting assortment of skillful storytelling.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Philip Shirley's collection of stories hold their own, in fact stand out, in the proud tradition of Southern storytelling." —Sonny Brewer, author, The Poet of Tolstoy Park and Cormac: The Tale of a Dog Gone Missing
About the Author
Philip Shirley is president of GodwinGroup ad agency and has received more than a dozen awards for his poetry, fiction, speech, and feature writing. His work has been anthologized in Stories from the Blue Moon Cafe IV and has appeared in online and print journals including Art Gulf Coast, Southern Gothic Online, Southern Humanities Review, and storySouth. He lives in Jackson, Mississippi.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
But Cry For Somebody,
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This review is from: Oh Don't You Cry for Me: Stories (Hardcover)
Shirley's work taps the essence of the ambiguity that infuses Southern life. The fear, strength, courage and cunning of his characters, especially the females, look back to a culture that survived "reconstruction", the depression and the Bible Belt. Survival becomes art-form.
Every town has a Robert Earl and a Lizzy. Every generation believes it is unique in its existential quest. But these stories prove true the "Al-Anon" slogan that "we are only as sick as our secrets." I bought a second copy to donate to my local library.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Exceptional character development, surprising twists,
This review is from: Oh Don't You Cry for Me: Stories (Hardcover)
That anyone living in the South undoubtedly knows, or has witnessed characters fitting the rich descriptions in this collection is understood. What may come as a surprise is the consistently artful twist in almost every one of the stories. Dark humor, tough compassion, and cutting to the bone honesty make this a mindful, satisfying read.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent!,
By
This review is from: Oh Don't You Cry for Me: Stories (Hardcover)
Philip Shirley has given voice to his characters as only a southern writer can do.I felt for the first time that the void left by the death of Larry Brown could be filled.
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