I almost never do an entire review about a single short story, but one I just read hit me particularly hard.
Lewis Shiner is, as far as I am concerned, one of the finest writers working today. Eschewing generic trappings and maintaining a low profile, Shiner has created a body of outstanding work.
"Merry Christmas from the Kensingtons" is a story from 2013, but I finally read it in a new little volume called More Collected Stories.
I think we have largely forgotten how powerful subtlety can be. Any halfwit kid on a playground can gross somebody out. Action too often takes the place of emotion in current storytelling.
In "Merry Christmas from the Kensingtons" Lewis Shiner gives readers a View Master glimpse of an explosive period in history, as well as a haunting portrait of the tumultuous times of a typical American family.
It's a tradition for families to use portraits as Christmas cards. A group of cards is found at a flea market featuring a family called The Kensingtons. They are annual photos of the family from 1952 to 1970. A time of social upheaval and civil unrest.
Shiner's brief descriptions describe a normal family of lovable nerds. Posing together, happy, clowning around. Subtle changes occur as the years ensue. Hair growing longer, emerging Jingoism, reflections of violence in the news, aging and health conditions.
It's a disquieting story, but Shiner reminds us that the tree of life renews every generation. Newfound joy follows tragedy and heartbreak as the family cycle continues.
"Merry Christmas from the Kensingtons" hit me deep and hard. Its nuances gave me great pause as I reflected not only the snapshot characters of the story, but my own life and history. I read it aloud to my wife, Clara, and she was also profoundly moved by it.
It's easy to get someone's attention with a sledgehammer, but only a truly gifted storyteller can provoke such reactions with few words and no dialogue.
You don't have to buy More Collected Stories to read "Merry Christmas from the Kensingtons". Shiner has it on his Fiction Liberation Front site for all to partake in. Take five minutes and do so.
Today is Christmas Eve. A good but somber one for me and Clara. Our family is spread far and wide and it's just us this year. We are enjoying the peace and time off from our stressful routine, but we miss our loved ones. "Merry Christmas from the Kensingtons" is a poignant reminder that turbulent times come and go, but nothing is more important, or more fragile, than our families.
Written by Mark Sieber
Lewis Shiner is, as far as I am concerned, one of the finest writers working today. Eschewing generic trappings and maintaining a low profile, Shiner has created a body of outstanding work.
"Merry Christmas from the Kensingtons" is a story from 2013, but I finally read it in a new little volume called More Collected Stories.
I think we have largely forgotten how powerful subtlety can be. Any halfwit kid on a playground can gross somebody out. Action too often takes the place of emotion in current storytelling.
In "Merry Christmas from the Kensingtons" Lewis Shiner gives readers a View Master glimpse of an explosive period in history, as well as a haunting portrait of the tumultuous times of a typical American family.It's a tradition for families to use portraits as Christmas cards. A group of cards is found at a flea market featuring a family called The Kensingtons. They are annual photos of the family from 1952 to 1970. A time of social upheaval and civil unrest.
Shiner's brief descriptions describe a normal family of lovable nerds. Posing together, happy, clowning around. Subtle changes occur as the years ensue. Hair growing longer, emerging Jingoism, reflections of violence in the news, aging and health conditions.
It's a disquieting story, but Shiner reminds us that the tree of life renews every generation. Newfound joy follows tragedy and heartbreak as the family cycle continues.
"Merry Christmas from the Kensingtons" hit me deep and hard. Its nuances gave me great pause as I reflected not only the snapshot characters of the story, but my own life and history. I read it aloud to my wife, Clara, and she was also profoundly moved by it.
It's easy to get someone's attention with a sledgehammer, but only a truly gifted storyteller can provoke such reactions with few words and no dialogue.
You don't have to buy More Collected Stories to read "Merry Christmas from the Kensingtons". Shiner has it on his Fiction Liberation Front site for all to partake in. Take five minutes and do so.
Today is Christmas Eve. A good but somber one for me and Clara. Our family is spread far and wide and it's just us this year. We are enjoying the peace and time off from our stressful routine, but we miss our loved ones. "Merry Christmas from the Kensingtons" is a poignant reminder that turbulent times come and go, but nothing is more important, or more fragile, than our families.
Written by Mark Sieber
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