"Clarence Major has a remarkable mind and the talent to match." —Toni Morrison
“[Clarence Major is] a pioneer on the cutting edge of contemporary fiction.” —Charles Johnson
"Clarence Major's... gathering of short stories has extraordinary technical and emotional force, that pushes the form to its contemporary limits without losing contact with its sources in legend, tall-tale, conte, yarn...Major...proves that he is one of only a handful of American writers capable of doing significant work in more than one genre." —Russell Banks
“Chicago Heat and Other Stories is the kind of collection that deepens the reader's understanding of human beings, of inner and outer landscapes...[This is] an experience delivered to us in sentences written out of utter clarity...The book is, in fact, a vision...This is a book to which you feel gratitude for its having been written, and for its invitation to you to read it." —Laura Kasischke
"Clarence Major’s masterful stories have the calm, the composure and the profound authority of life authentically lived." —Madison Smartt Bell
“With the lightness and brevity of sketches and the emotional depth of memoirs [Clarence Major] explores the complexity and mutability of relationships between the sexes, races, and generations. Major’s hand is swift and his eye is sharp…the title story…is a tour de force…” —John Keene, author of Counternarratives: Stories and Novellas
“Unforced, heartfelt and true, these stories are tonic for the soul."—Gish Jen, author of Typical American
“There is so much urgency in these pages, so much real human drama…[and] stylistic mastery…Major is an essential American writer. This [is] a superb collection.” —Steve Yarbrough
“{there is] subtle fire [in] this amazing collection…All of our democracy is alive in these pages…[any] new work by Clarence Major is a literary event…[he is a] treasured storyteller…at the height of his superpowers.” —John Beckman
“Clarence Major is a great American storyteller, a national treasure.” —Steve Katz
"There's a quirkiness to these stories reminiscent of Carver, but Major also infuses them with a wisdom and humor and surreal candor all their own. An artful collection you'll long remember." —Mark Wisniewski
"These stories execute the peeling away of artifice — of the story form, and of people. Curl back the artifice — lips from teeth— and here are raw minds delivered almost breezily. The cumulative effect is kinetic." —Lucy Corin
"These elegant, intimate stories offer nothing less than vibrant life on the page. Clarence Major is a wonder." —Hilma Wolitzer
“…Clarence Major [is] one of our most accomplished technical innovators…this new book…[is] radiant…[it is] funky and fun.”—Jeffery Renard Allen
“Clarence Major is a consummate artist…the reader is in for a treat…a feast. With astute powers of observation Major delivers…We may end up thinking we’ve met [these] people…somewhere. Highly recommended…”—Ana Castillo
“The stories…sizzle with tension and eroticism…they are insightful about women, intimacy, relationships, love and loss, travel, nostalgia for growing up, for lost places, people…these kind-hearted, profound and subtle stories will stay in your heart.” —Laura Marello, author of The Gender of Inanimate Objects
“Clarence Major…explores in innovative fashion how we live today…with the lightness and brevity of sketches and the emotional depth of memoirs, he explores the complexity and mutability of relationships between the sexes, races, and generations. Major’s hand is swift and his eye sharp… the title story…is a tour de force…” —John Keene, author of Counternarratives
"There's a quirkiness to these stories reminiscent of Carver, but Major also infuses them with a wisdom and humor and surreal candor all their own. An artful collection you'll long remember." —Mark Wisniewski, author of Watch Me Go
"These elegant, intimate stories offer nothing less than vibrant life on the page. Clarence Major is a wonder." —Hilma Wolitzer, author of In The Palomar Arms, Toby Lived Here and other books
"There is so much urgency in these pages, so much real human drama…[and] stylistic mastery…Major is an essential American writer. This [is] a superb collection.”—Steve Yarbrough
“{there is] subtle fire [in] this amazing collection…All of our democracy is alive in these pages…[any] new work by Clarence Major is a literary event…[he is a] treasured storyteller…at the height of his superpowers.”—John Beckman
“Clarence Major is a great American storyteller, a national treasure.”—Steve Katz
“Unforced, heartfelt and true, these stories are tonic for the soul."—Gish Jen, author of Typical American
"Clarence Major’s masterful stories have the calm, the composure and the profound authority of life authentically lived."—Madison Smartt Bell
"Clarence Major's . . . short stories [have] extraordinary technical and emotional force, that pushes the form to its contemporary limits without losing contact with its sources in legend, tall-tale, conte, yarn . . . Major . . . proves that he is one of only a handful of American writers capable of doing significant work in more than one genre." —Russell Banks
"A pioneer on the cutting edge of contemporary fiction." —Charles Johnson
"Clarence Major has a remarkable mind and the talent to match."—Toni Morrison
★ 08/01/2016
This short story collection from National Book Award finalist Major, who works successfully in multiple genres, shows why Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison is such a supporter of his work. Whether writing from the perspective of a black man, white woman, teenager, artist, or nurse, he creates embodied, engaging characters who observe events carefully and grow within their stories. While there is a certain omnipresence in the works, Major is able to capture the ambiguity of the human condition. For instance, "Driving Kenneth Home" tells of two male coworkers having dinner together. Both were once married to women, so we're uncertain of their attraction to each other—and perhaps they, too, are uncertain. Some stories, such as "Girl in a Boat" and "Temporary Business" have a clear finality, while others, such as "Innocence," allow readers to envision what occurs after the story ends. "Weaver" is told from the viewpoint of a white man who murders his common-law African American wife in the Jim Crow South, while "Sketch" is a more intimate tale with a narrator who is a painter—as is Major. VERDICT Recalling the work of African American writer Henry Dumas, this work will appeal to all readers of literature.—Ashanti White, Fayetteville, NC
2016-07-31
Poet/painter/novelist Major (From Now On: New and Selected Poems 1970-2015, 2015, etc.) gives us a new collection of 23 short stories that explore the full range of the human condition.“Temporary Business,” the opening tale, concerns itself with the potent drama of two people who have just begun to live together. With her own marriage in crisis, Isa, described as being intelligent, with “a great splash of red hair” and a “musical voice,” has invited herself to stay with Edward, an old friend of her mother’s, and figure out what she wants next. Wading through the undercurrents of sexual tension, Isa and Edward bicker over his eating habits and “make love in the afternoon, lying across the bed, half-dressed.” Major brilliantly hones in on the specific, detailed moments of their lives to articulate the intricacies of character and relationships, like bright swatches of color across a dark canvas. Here is an elegant union of craftsmanship and emotional truth. Further into the collection, Major showcases his ability to use different styles to enhance the telling of a tale. The title story is a Shakespearean monologue of death and family drama set during the hottest days of a Chicago summer, couched in the guise of a single phone call. Of particular note is the frank, matter-of-fact exploration of sexuality that permeates various tales, among them “Gelasia’s Problem,” “Girl in a Boat,” and “Driving Kenneth Home.” Here we have the best of literary fiction: visceral characters and compelling plots. However, the brief length Major favors sometimes precludes a level of reflection that would add depth to each individual piece. With Major’s attention to rhythm and the musicality of language, the result is a delightful feast for the senses.
