So much for preconceptions. This is an author I had never heard of, published by Texas Tech University Press, part of their Modern Jewish Literature and Culture Series. I would never have picked this up off a display table (the cover art and overall packaging are not appealing), but the stories were truly lovely. Seemingly narrow in scope - upper middle-class, middle-aged men, mostly, at turning points in their lives, seeking authenticity. Sounds boring. But they had a brisk directness and keen insight that was refreshing. My favorites were "Getting out in One Piece," a celebration of the impact of an eccentric aunt on her nephew, struggling to escape a dysfunctional family, and "Reading to Jacob" in which an agnostic man mourns the loss of his observant younger brother.
It's to Clayton's credit that he handles a topic nearly guaranteed to provoke my gag reflex - that of the comfortable man who can't keep certain parts of his anatomy to himself - with sensitivity and even cleverness.
No comments:
Post a Comment