The Things We Do for Women

by Seth Johnson

Overview

Seth Johnson's debut story collection comprises twelve linked tales set in Kentucky against the backdrop of the disintegration of a young marriage amidst thwarted expectations and contrasted by illustrations of the unconditional love freely given by dogs. A man on the run hides out at a boarding house owned by a paraplegic woman whose uncle's dog gives birth with an ease that impresses the observers of this ordinary event. A young man confesses his extramarital affairs to his mother. A housewife attends the funeral of a young woman whom she never knew. In precise, evocative prose, The Things We Do for Women explores the perpetual desire for love and the obstacles to obtaining it.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780615845852
Publisher:	Whitepoint Press
Publication date:	12/02/2013
Pages:	216
Product dimensions:	5.25(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.49(d)

About the Author

Seth Johnson is a high school dropout who now has a BA in English from Western Kentucky University and an MFA in creative writing from Murray State University. He has worked as a transmission mechanic, a heating and air conditioning installer, and a technical writer for a large corporation. He lives in Louisville with his wife, daughter, and two dogs.

Editorial Reviews

09/16/2013
Johnson’s debut collection of linked stories is an attempt at Carver-like dirty realism that mostly falls flat. The author leaves the stories, set in contemporary Kentucky, virtually free of narrative arc or climax; they simply progress and then end. In the title story, a man adopts a Doberman, but the dog turns out to be unruly and has to be returned. In “The Birth,” a man “on the run” meets an alcoholic, wheelchair-bound woman and later finds himself witness to the birth of a litter of puppies. In “Clean White Sheets,” two couples get drunk and play Pictionary. (The title refers not to bedsheets but to the loose-leaf paper used in the game.) “You’ve Got to Live a Little” is told from the viewpoint of a supercilious middle-management type. The functional prose rarely attempts to heighten the mundane proceedings, but occasionally Johnson’s sentences are downright peculiar: “His eyes would shift to the introduction of a new bulb switched on,” and “‘Whatever,’ Ashley said, her lips going pink in the taut.” The close attention Johnson pays to the texture of everyday experience shows a promise that he will hopefully fulfill in future efforts. (Dec.)

Publishers Weekly

"... [The Things We Do for Women], Johnson's first book, is worth reading for the strength of the author's vision, the authenticity of his writing, and the promise it gives of future reading pleasure. Libraries with short story fans, literary-fiction aficionados, and large fiction collections should give serious consideration to this title."

Booklist - Ellen Loughran