by Scott Gould
Scott Gould is one of the most talented writers I know for his ability to mix substance with humor. IDIOT MEN, his new collection of short stories, is yet another brilliant example.
His tales have a small town feel in which you get to know all of the colorful characters. Quirky, loping, smart, not so smart, they all live lives in which real things — deep and abiding traumas, even if we sometimes don’t know what they are — have imprinted on them in ways that make their existence difficult.
While sometimes dark, like the story of the trailer man who plots on how to get rid of his new neighbor, there’s an overarching humor to the stories, that when put together deliver the message that humanity is like an oddball uncle: often illogical and unpredictable, yet always deserving of sympathy.
And because I don’t live in the South, I appreciated soaking up the color and flavors of where the author lives and writes.
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THE FALCON, THE WOLF AND THE HUMMINGBIRD a historical nove
BLISS ROAD, a memoir
WINTER LIGHT, a novel
THE WIND THIEF, a novel
GROWING GREAT CHARACTERS, a resource for writers