Working It Off in Labor County: Stories

by Larry D. Thacker

Overview

Humorous and wry stories of misfits and ordinary people in an Appalachian community struggling creatively to make sense of an often nonsensical world.

“It seems like everybody but people from here are sure about what we’re about, and they make money being wrong about it.” The residents of Labor County, a fictional small community in the mountains of southeastern Kentucky, may be short on cash, but they are rich in creativity and tirelessly inventive as they concoct new schemes to make ends meet, settle old scores, and work off their debts to society and, in a way, to themselves.

A zealous history professor is caught stealing from the local museum in protest of petty theft; an arsonist strikes it lucky—twice; a skilled leatherworker saddles a turkey and finds a rider; an angel aspires to be a punk rock Roller Derby princess; a grieving artist carves a miracle into a roadside rock face; and affable Uncle Archie produces a seemingly unending supply of new and bizarre items to display in his Odditorium.

More than a collection of tales, Working It Off in Labor County assembles memorable characters who recur across these seventeen linked stories, sharing in one another’s struggles and stumbling upon humor and mystery, the grotesque and the divine, each in many forms.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781949199598
Publisher:	West Virginia University Press
Publication date:	02/01/2021
Edition description:	1st Edition
Pages:	228
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Larry D. Thacker is a Kentuckian writer and artist living in Johnson City, Tennessee. He is the author of the paranormal folk history Mountain Mysteries, two chapbooks, and four full poetry collections. He holds an MFA in poetry and fiction from West Virginia Wesleyan College. Visit his website at www.larrydthacker.com.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments xi

Working It Off in Labor County 1

Hot Ticket 16

Day of the Dead Diner, Home of Juan D's Best BBQ 35

Brotherhood of the Mystic Hand 40

Uncle Archie's Acquisition 59

The Hard Thing 65

Riding Shotgun with Dory 74

Uncle Archie's Underground Reunion 88

The Art of Grief 97

Benny and the Hill's Angels 114

No Dumping 129

Hollow of the Dolls 135

Uncle Archie Goes One for Three 144

The Clown Brothers Eller 156

About Levi 171

The New Exhilarist 189

The Work 195

Editorial Reviews

There’s a country song on every page. . . . These characters want out, want in, yearn for some luck, lose whatever fortunes appear in their lives. This collection’s a keeper, worthy of shelf space between Larry Brown and Merle Haggard.”
George Singleton, author of You Want More: Selected Stories

“Energetic, humorous, and full of heart. Thacker’s voice feels fresh and alive.”
Jonathan Corcoran, author of The Rope Swing

“Thacker’s linked collection is a carnival ride of southern gothic tales and freak-show oddities. . . . Hilarious, yes, but it’s also a thoughtful exploration of the residents of Labor County, Kentucky, who are desperate to pull meaning out of loss.”
Marie Manilla, author of The Patron Saint of Ugly

“Larry Thacker’s stories have bark, but they also have bite. These Labor County people aren’t real, I keep telling myself that. They are just figments a writer made up in his head. But when you come away from this book, you’ll feel that you’ve encountered a cast of characters who are going to stay with you—like newfound kin or a bad feeling in the bottom of your brain. Thacker writes like a wild man with a mean streak, breaking your tired heart all along the way.”
Charles Dodd White, author of How Fire Runs and In the House of Wilderness

“A rollicking portrayal of small-town Kentucky life . . . unified by strong narrative drive and well-crafted prose. Fans of George Singleton will love this.”
Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher