The Book of Right and Wrong (Ohio State Univ Prize in Short Fiction) [Paperback]

Matt Debenham (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 22, 2010 | Series: Ohio State Univ Prize in Short Fiction

Matt Debenham’s stories are for people who think they don’t like short stories. These stories don’t leave off in mid-breath; instead, they feature characters who seem to live on even after their closing pages. The humor in The Book of Right and Wrong makes the jarring moments that much more jarring, and the tender moments that much more tender.
At once heartbreaking and hilarious, the eleven stories in The Book of Right and Wrong capture their characters at the defining moments of their lives. A mother finds herself defending her son’s biggest bully from a tormentor of his own; a young man watches as his cape-wearing former high-school classmate proves himself more adept at making friends; a social worker gambles everything on expediting an adoption—and causes unforeseen consequences for every person in her life; a boy standing in for Jimmy Carter in his elementary school’s mock-election inadvertently starts a bloody playground war; an ex-con single father finds himself on the inside of his town’s social circle, with no clue as to how the game is played.
With lively storytelling and empathy to spare, The Book of Right and Wrong defies the notion that full, memorable characters live only in novels.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Matt Debenham’s collection The Book of Right and Wrong has everything I look for in a reading experience: engaging characters, compelling stories, and universal themes. But the unexpected moments were what I appreciated most—when I laughed out loud or paused to reread a lyrical sentence or put the book down to think not just about the characters’ lives but about my own. These stories are funny and heartbreaking and dark all at once, yet somehow the author manages to achieve an effortless feeling of interconnectedness, one story flowing into the next. Debenham writes about the forgotten, the offbeat, and the outcast in his beautifully unconventional way, giving voices to those who often go unheard. This is a stunning debut from a distinctive new presence in American storytelling, among the best collections I have read.” —Amy Greene, author of Bloodroot

 

 

 

Outrageous, tender, hilarious, bewildered: Matt Debenham’s The Book of Right and Wrong is so full of life that it’s a miracle the binding can hold it all together. A spectacular debut. —Paul Lisicky, author of Lawnboy and Famous Builder

 “Matt Debenham writes people you could swear you’ve actually met, and your heart goes out to each and every one of them. Even the sonsofbitches.” —Paul F. Tompkins, Comedian

 

“Inside this book is a universe of painfully nerdy kids and dangerously flawed parents who love each other so much and so badly they would do anything for each other, including lie, maim, and kill. Matt Debenham explores the paradoxical territory of the rights and wrongs of parenthood with sensitivity, compassion, intelligence, and a dark humor that never shies away from love’s unending contradiction. Precise prose, daring narrative turns, rueful humor, knife-to-the-gut vulnerability, and a deeply human regard for even the most compromised characters—there are so many reasons to love this book. —Pam Houston, Author of Cowboys Are My Weakness and Sight Hound

Book Description

Matt Debenham’s stories are for people who think they don’t like short stories. These stories don’t leave off in mid-breath; instead, they feature characters who seem to live on even after their closing pages. The humor in The Book of Right and Wrong makes the jarring moments that much more jarring, and the tender moments that much more tender.

 At once heartbreaking and hilarious, the eleven stories in The Book of Right and Wrong capture their characters at the defining moments of their lives. A mother finds herself defending her son’s biggest bully from a tormentor of his own; a young man watches as his cape-wearing former high-school classmate proves himself more adept at making friends; a social worker gambles everything on expediting an adoption—and causes unforeseen consequences for every person in her life; a boy standing in for Jimmy Carter in his elementary school’s mock-election inadvertently starts a bloody playground war; an ex-con single father finds himself on the inside of his town’s social circle, with no clue as to how the game is played. 

With lively storytelling and empathy to spare, The Book of Right and Wrong defies the notion that full, memorable characters live only in novels.

 

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Ohio State University Press; 2 edition (May 22, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814251730
• ISBN-13: 978-0814251737
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #995,869 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Matt Debenham's fiction has appeared in Roanoke Review, The Pinch, Painted Bride Quarterly, North Atlantic Review, and elsewhere. He was Peter Taylor Scholar at the Sewanee Writers' Conference, and has received a fiction fellowship from the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism. He holds an MFA from the Bennington Writing Seminars. His story collection, The Book of Right and Wrong, won the 2009 Ohio State University Press Prize for short fiction and was published in 2010.