Dr. Cahn’s Visit – Richard Stern

Richard Stern – born Feb. 25, 1928

So, here we have another story about an old man. A confused old man.

-SURPRISE! (sarcasm)

At this point in my reading, I am beginning to wonder if Elkin has taken his whole “Guest Editorship” role as a joke. Did he have the ability to read and choose every story written in 1979 (for the 1980 edition) about an old man?

I know of Elkin and his personality, and the idea that he has made and included these stories as a joke is starting to become more and more plausible to me.

Either that, or why the hell, in 1979, were so many people writing about old men?

Yes, I stated in my previous post that I was attracted to stories of this sort...but c’mon! Enough is enough.

It’s really making reading difficult.

I look at the table of contents and I begin to wonder if the next story is going to be about a man. An old man, an elderly man, a poor elderly man – alone.

Richard Stern.

It’s certainly not his fault that his story was chosen for this volume. All blame falls on Elkin.

Richard Stern is a wonderful author.

Stern has associations with the masters of American Fiction and should be considered a master as well.

I dare not, in this little blog of mine, attempt to go into the accomplishments of the man. He produced and still produces today.

Often overlooked, unrecognized and under appreciated.

He knows this and he is more than comfortable with it. Good for him.