At or Near the Surface
Synopsis:
At or Near the Surface, winner of the 2008 Michael Rubin Chapbook Award, is a collection of short fiction that, with original language and lapidary prose, explores the yearnings of a cast of characters we think we know: a young woman visited by the hand and lung and toes of the baby she miscarried in Macy's; a married couple deformed by their web of adulteries; an elderly man remembering his wife as he sets his deformed pigeons free; a chemistry teacher's surprising response to the shooting death of a student. A new and attentive voice in contemporary fiction, Jenny Pritchett peels away the clothes we use to hide ourselves, revealing the yearnings, despair, and ultimately the hopes we protect in tiny boxes in our rooms. Chosen by Tin House managing editor Holly MacArthur, At or Near the Surface is due out from Fourteen Hills Press in November 2008. Stories from the collection have appeared or are upcoming in Southwest Review, Northwest Review, Boulevard, Salt Hill, and Best of the Web 2008 (chosen by Steve Almond) from Dzanc Books. "In fifteen wonderful stories, Jenny Pritchett stirs up a remarkable amount of grit and glory. These characters, as they stumble through their loves and losses, will remind you just how dangerous it is to be alive." Robin Romm, author of The Mother Garden and The Mercy Papers "The beauty of Jenny Pritchett's work is that it's both unique and familiar. The struggles of her characters are so like our own, and yet so often the choices they make surprise us. The book is funny and sorrowful and wise. I can't ask for much more." Peter Orner, author of Esther Stories and The Second Coming of Mavala Shikongo "The stories in Jenny Pritchett's debut collection At or Near the Surface are beautifully written and bone-deep with emotion. She is a wonderfully unique new literary voice." Holly MacArthur, cofounder and managing editor, Tin House magazine
Book Excerpt:
ADULTERY
This is what it's about: Carla had an affair the first year they were married, a flirtation at a bar that led to more than it should have and, after six cranberry-and-vodkas, more than she remembers. Jed's affair was more recent and more prolonged, but unconsummated in the traditional sense (although consummated in creative ways). The flirtation in his office ended two weeks ago when Carla answered his cell phone when he was in the shower. This woman, this Amy, is the reason Jed has been working at home, to ameliorate his wife, but also to avoid Amy's dignified understanding at work, which wounds him and alters his image of himself as a good person.
Jed's affair is the reason Carla's mother is here, but Katherine does not know this. Carla called her the day after the pathetic, shrill confrontation with Jed, him dripping water onto the hardwood floor of their bedroom and not apologizing. Carla witnessed the droop of his shoulders and hoped he might become sorry, but even as she presented each emotion she felt-anger, grief, bewilderment ("This is an affair," she yelled. "That was a fling.")-she felt uncontrollably attracted to the muscles in his abdomen, small, tight hillocks she had often cupped in her palms after his marathon bike rides on Mount Tamalpais. For a heady, airless moment she realized Amy might have done the same thing.
They used to have fun together, frequent bars and clubs, Carla's mounting drama funny and Jed's philosophies profound. They piled into cabs for the ride home, made love in Jed's stairwell, propped pillows on his bed and talked about their plans: Costa Rica, marriage, graduate school. These days Jed spends a lot of time gazing out his study window at the bamboo whisking the side of the building. Carla finds herself wanting to cry but feels a strange sort of relief.
Topics/Categories:
Children, Families, Marriage, Relationships
Genre:
Literary Short Stories, Short Stories
Type of Work:
Publishers:
Awards:
2008 Michael Rubin Chapbook Award
Original Publish Date:
2008-11-01
Formats:
Paperback
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