We Were Flying to Chicago

by Kevin Clouther

Overview

In this striking debut collection, characters find unexpected moments of profound insight while navigating daily life.

"Clouther’s first collection of stories shows an 'old' talent—meaning, his sophistication in treatment and technique and his wise observations of the human condition have the feel of an author who has the experience of several story collections behind him."—Booklist, starred review

"Sharply observed."—Toronto Star

"The 10 entries in Clouther’s debut collection all display a sure–handed grasp of craft."—Publishers Weekly

In this striking debut collection, characters find unexpected moments of profound insight while navigating the monotony of daily life. Here we find a man who drives to the wrong mountain, a hubcap cleaner who moonlights as a karaoke star, and a deliveryman whose urgent letters have no willing recipient. While lulled by the deceptively simple rhythm of the ordinary, Kevin Clouther offers the instant before momentous change—the view over the cliff, the intake of breath before a decision, a glimpse of stark vulnerability, of faith and hope.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781936787166
Publisher:	Catapult
Publication date:	05/13/2014
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
File size:	362 KB

About the Author

Kevin Clouther was born in Boston and grew up on Cape Cod and in South Florida. He holds degrees from the University of Virginia and Iowa Writers' Workshop, where he completed his thesis under Marilynne Robinson and won the Richard Yates Fiction Award for best short story. He has worked at The Iowa Review, Meridian and The Virginia Literary Review, where he served as Fiction Editor. He teaches creative writing at Stony Brook University, where he coordinates the Program in Writing Reading Series, and John Hopkins. He has previously taught at Bridgewater College in Virginia, the University of Michigan–Dearborn, and the Iowa Writers' Workshop. He lives in Floral Park, New York with his wife and son.

Table of Contents

We Were Flying to Chicago 1

The Third Prophet of Wyaconda 13

Isabelle and Colleen 35

Puritan Hotel, Boston 65

On the Highway Near Fairfield, Connecticut 87

T-Bone Capone Loves the Lady Ace 101

Open House 129

Charleston for Breakfast 143

I Know Who You Are 157

Puritan Hotel, Barnstable 177

Editorial Reviews

02/17/2014
Although uneven in quality, the 10 entries in Clouther’s debut collection all display a sure-handed grasp of craft. The first and last stories are the best. In the former, the title story, deft and subtle shifts of perspective among a group of young women lead to a well-earned concluding insight. Better still is the emotionally complex final selection, “Puritan Hotel, Barnstable,” about two brothers, Michael and Connor, dealing with Connor’s cancer treatment. The other stories are a mixed bag. “T-Bone Capone Loves the Lady Ace,” which also centers on the illness of a loved one—in this case, the sister of the narrator’s girlfriend—feels forced. “Isabelle and Colleen,” about a 13-year-old boy, his high-school-age brother, and his brother’s pregnant girlfriend, has some tender, memorable moments. “On The Highway Near Fairfield, Connecticut,” about two cousins on a road trip, looks at fate with a fresh eye. “The Third Prophet of Wyaconda,” concerning a messianic visitor to a small Iowa town, never quite achieves the right tone. Nonetheless, readers should find many of Clouther’s characters, even those in his less successful efforts, lingering in the mind afterward. (May)

Publishers Weekly

"Kevin Clouther’s collection of short stories is further evidence that some of the most interesting literary fiction is coming out of small presses like Black Balloon Publishing."—BookRiot, Included in "The Great 2014 Short Fiction Round–Up" by David Abrams

“Clouther’s first collection of stories shows an 'old' talent—meaning, his sophistication in treatment and technique and his wise observations of the human condition have the feel of an author who has the experience of several story collections behind him.”—Booklist, starred

"Sharply observed."—Toronto Star

"Kevin Clouther's collection of short stories is further evidence that some of the most interesting literary fiction is coming out of small presses like Black Balloon Publishing. . .I can confidently report that this is writing that's unmistakably alive and feral.. . .Dare I say that I hear Raymond Carver and Ernest Hemingway echoing in my head?"—David Abrams, The Quivering Pen

"The 10 entries in Clouther’s debut collection all display a sure–handed grasp of craft. The first and last stories are the best. In the former, the title story, deft and subtle shifts of perspective among a group of young women lead to a well–earned concluding insight. Better still is the emotionally complex final selection, “Puritan Hotel, Barnstable,” about two brothers, Michael and Connor, dealing with Connor’s cancer treatment."—Publishers Weekly

"Kevin Clouther's collection of wry, funny, big–hearted stories is utterly satisfying and unexpected, like scratching an itch you didn't know you had."—Rebecca Johns

“Kevin Clouther’s remarkable collection illustrates, page by page, the unique joys of reading short fiction. By turns subversive and poignant, darkly humorous and deeply moving, these ten stories show us the author’s expansive range and the heart that drives his imagination. Clouther’s beautifully rendered characters will stay with you long after you’ve finished the book—you’ll see them on the street, in the office, in your mirror. “—Bret Anthony Johnston

“[These] stories develop an intimate voice and the reader can feel characters’ hopes and despair. The title story is a particular standout. A group of airplane passengers are stuck on a layover; the story is told from their collective perspective ("For no good reason, we were flying to Chicago," it begins). The first–person plural point of view is inviting and fresh.”—Kirkus

From the Publisher

2014-03-20
The stories in this debut collection cover familiar territory with subtle prose that strives for emotional impact. In these 10 stories, Clouther (Creative Writing/Stony Brook, Johns Hopkins) explores the promise and disappointments of daily life; aging, relationships and religion are frequent topics. At their strongest, the stories develop an intimate voice and the reader can feel characters' hopes and despair. The title story is a particular standout. A group of airplane passengers are stuck on a layover; the story is told from their collective perspective ("For no good reason, we were flying to Chicago," it begins). The first-person plural point of view is inviting and fresh. As the passengers describe their midlife ennui, the empty promises of youth become a shared experience. In "Isabelle and Colleen," a memorable narrator again breathes life into a potentially stale plot. This story about a teen pregnancy is narrated by the younger brother of the father-to-be. James is torn between admiration and shame, between his own adolescent insecurities and his family's much larger issues. His innocent, earnest perspective is endearing and poignant. Too often, however, the stories adopt an overly impersonal tone, making it hard to feel the depth of what's at stake. In "The Third Prophet of Wyaconda," a self-proclaimed prophet appears in a small town promising a miracle. The story reads like a parable or allegory without the clarity needed to interpret a meaning or moral. "Puritan Hotel, Barnstable" suffers a similar limitation. The characters grapple with a family member's illness but are too generic for the reader to experience their grief. Both "Open House" and "I Know Who You Are" raise more questions than they answer and fall short of any emotional effect they might intend. Clouther's stories range from moving to boring to downright confusing. Taken together, the collection fails to leave a mark.

Kirkus Reviews