Episode 56: Short Stories
Summary: Sometimes the best gifts come in smaller packages - join us today, friends, as Holly and Devin review short story collections in their respective wheelhouses. With a deep history of reading short fiction from their college years, Holly and Devin reflected that while less common to read in adulthood, short stories haven’t lost their value or potency. Being able to impact a reader quickly enough to have a complete short story is a feat of writing prowess and the two collections they review today prove that.
Topics Discussed:
The Heart (2:58): Devin discussed Love in Color by Bolu Babalola, a collection of myth retellings centered around West Africa with a sprinkling of Greek and Middle East legends thrown in. Babalola reshapes the tales of Nefertiti, Scheherazade, Psyche and others to move away from patriarchal tropes and toward a women-centered happily ever after. Devin’s key takeaways were:
Many of these myths end badly and usually with the death or subjugation of the female protagonist; by applying common romance tropes in the retelling they take on a more hopeful, lighter air and really underline the value of love conquering all
The default characters were all BIPOC, and the book told stories that aren’t well-known outside of the home cultures/countries. It was amazing to recognize stories like that of Psyche and Thisbe from Greek mythology that we were taught in school, but then also dive headfirst into new-to-you myths. Definitely worth researching the myths as you go to compare vs. Babalola’s work.
Told from the perspective of the woman instead of the man in all but one of the stories (Attem), the reader is left overall with a feeling of empowerment and connection. By resetting the myths in modern Manhattan, for example, we are reminded that myths aren’t history but evolve with us, acting as a mirror that reflects who we are and who we want to be.
The Dagger (15:56): Holly discussed Sleep No More: Six Murderous Tales by P.D. James, a reprinted series of short stories published posthumously in 2017 from works written between 1973 and 2005. With the title a nod to Macbeth, James stories pack a punch with ordinary characters who commit dark acts. Holly’s key takeaways were:
Influenced by the likes of Agatha Christie, James took the popular murder mystery concept and deepened it by adding emotional, moral, and psychological layers that draw the reader in and are clear even in the short story format.
Interestingly, many of the stories in this collection are set around Christmas. If you’re a reader who loves a little murder for the holidays, this collection is for you. For example, a cozy mystery author reflects on being caught up in a real-life murder as a youth when his family had guests to their home for Christmas and the person who dresses up as Santa is found dead.
Told mostly in the first person with unnamed narrators, James’ builds tension with car trips gone wrong (three were in the car when they pulled over, why do only two arrive at the house?), deep family history, wolves in sheeps clothing, and the close quarters of vacations and manor homes in the UK.
Hot On the Shelf (38:21):
What’s Making Our Hearts Race (42:38):
Holly: Godzilla Minus One film
Devin: Get On Your Knees comedy special by Jaqueline Novak on Netflix
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