Bromeliads - Joy Williams

Joy Williams - February 11, 1944

Henry Rollins has a piece in one of his spoken word performances where he discusses the themes of movies. It is a digression from his discussion of poetry...at least I think I am remembering all of this correctly. Anyway, he talks about how a majority movies need to be depressing...how it makes them more appealing to people. He gives an example of two movies...one of which is super happy, and everything goes right for the main character. The second takes place in a world of hell, it is dark and the world is ending for the main character. He jokes that the ticket line for the latter movie would be around the block while almost no one would g and see the “happy” movie.

What is our attraction to theses dark disturbing movies?

Joy Williams seems to have figured out that writing “downer” pieces works for her voice and she has developed fans. She has been nominated for a Pulitzer in Fiction, as well as a National Book Award.

So, Bromeliads is very much a downer.

In bios about the author, she is described as creating fiction where her “Characters are usually divorced, children are abandoned, and their lives are consumed with fear, often irrational...”

About hits the nail on the head for this little piece.

I find it interesting to read about the mental breakdown of people. Again the mind fascinates me...it’s sad to see a persons own chemical makeup turn against them and cause their mind to lose its bearings and cause such pain to family members.

It happens all too often though.

And finally this quote from an online interview with Joy Williams-

“The conundrum of literature is that it is not supposed to say anything. Often a reader can enjoy a story or novel simply because he can admire the writer’s skill in getting out of it.”

7 out of 10

Telling the Bees - L. Hluchan Sintetos

Telling the Bees - L. Hluchan Sintetos

Before doing my research on this author, the actual reading of this story was very enjoyable. I enjoyed the title and learning what it meant. I love superstitions. It was an upfront, strong, and bold story. Honest, sexual and colorful.

Golden honey, gleaming white teeth, white shirt, heat and sweat.

Now to the author. Who is L. Hluchan Sintetos?

Was this story written by a woman? I only assumed it was by the biographical notes in the back. Upon going through my normal steps in researching the author, I found very little about Sintetos. I did though find this interesting letter to the editor from the New York Times.

GLOSSY FICTION

January 29, 1984

To the Editor:

Frederick Busch, in his article on fiction, mentions ''Hollywood Starlet Tells All'' by a probably anagrammatic L. Hluchan Sintetos.

Indeed, sintetos approximates sintetico (synthetic), and L. Hluchan Sintetos works out nicely as Stella Hutchinson. Hiding her starlet under a bushel?

A Freudian touch. An a was available for the feminine form (pun serendipitous and paradoxical) sintetas (without teats). In a mystery story, this would have made a good clue -cherchez la sex change.

Vive la difference. EDWARD WELLEN New Rochelle, N.Y.

AWESOME!!! Man, that’s too cool. A great little story written by a mystery author. And as far as I can tell the author has yet to be discovered.

I love mysteries like this and am so happy that this little story found its way into the collection.

9 out of 10

The Windmill Man – Tim McCarthy

Tim McCarthy - ??- ??

This is a classic example of an author that seems to just have dropped out. I was unable to locate anything about him outside of the notes about the authors in the back of the BASS. The notes mention that McCarthy grew up in Vermont and also attended Goddard College (among others). It also mentions that he lives/ed in a Christian Community out in the West. Perhaps this explains his disappearance.

I enjoyed “The Windmill Man”. Classic struggle against forces story.

There has always been something that has intrigued me about windmills. I think some of it has to do with my father always pointing them out along the road during our road trips. I have found myself doing the same on my adult trips with family and friends. The machines are amazing. So simple yet able to do so much. Pulling water from the ground, generating electricity...

The men who assembled and maintained these great machines in the past as well as the people who tackle the monsters out there today are real ballsy. I think it would be fun to be a Windmill Man.

7 out of 10

Rough Strife – Lynne Sharon Schwartz

Lynne Sharon Schwartz, 1939 -

I think that most of the stories that appeal to me are stories that present a glimpse into someone’s life. Just a slice of an everyday affair, a few years of an interesting character, a relationship examined closely.

I enjoyed “Rough Strife” because it was simply a slice of what could be a real life story. Granted the characters in the story have it rough...but overall, an entertaining relationship story.

Time peg in the story was right on with a pregnant character drinking and taking NoDoz but afraid of “drugs”. I suppose that explains what happened to my generation!

7 out of 10