What the Critics Say
About Karen Gettert Shoemaker
|
|
A woman recalls the freedom and power of childhood games; a surprise anniversary party goes awry when the husband is
hospitalized and the fault lines and strengths of a family are laid bare; a teacher rediscovers her calling amidst
unthinkable tragedy; a lonely woman recognizes her responsibility to her sister’s troubled life—in this collection
of stories the prose and passion of life are brought together in ways that show both the complexity and the simplicity
of living. Told against a Midwest background, they focus mainly on women’s experiences, yet nonetheless reflect universal
conditions. This is what makes Karen Gettert Shoemaker’s style so affecting and her stories so appealing. They capture
those small moments in life, a passing glance or a child’s smile, the night sounds of crickets or clocks, and celebrates
them, delights in their ordinariness. These stories show the importance of knowing the preciousness of this life, whatever
form it takes. These are simple stories, told with a grace and elegance that belies their joyful art and craft. Karen
Gettert Shoemaker has published fiction, nonfiction, and poetry in a variety of places, including Prairie Schooner and
South Dakota Review. She received her M.A. and Ph.D. in Creative Writing from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where
she has taught writing and literature workshops for a number of years. She has received the Vreeland Award for Fiction
and a Nebraska Press Association Award. This is her first book of short stories. — from the jacket
|
