Brief Description
Twenty-three surreal fictions stories, character assassinations, and mini-travelogues from one of the most heralded writers of the American South
There are many things that repulse Dr. Ordinary. Kansas is notable for its distinct lack of farmland. Wayne s Fate is most unfortunate, not merely for Wayne but for the roofer pal who stands by watching his good buddy lose his head. Miss Resignation simply cannot win at Bingo. And there is nothing Typical about the unemployed steelworker and self-described piece of crud who strides through this collection s title story.
Welcome to the world of Padgett Powell, one of the most original American literary voices in recent memory."Typical"is both a bravura demonstration of Powell s passion for words, and an offbeat, perceptive view of contemporary life an enthralling work by a one-of-a-kind wordsmith, and a redefinition of what short fiction can be."
Learn More about the Book
Twenty-three surreal fictions stories, character assassinations, and mini-travelogues from one of the most heralded writers of the American South
There are many things that repulse Dr. Ordinary. Kansas is notable for its distinct lack of farmland. Wayne s Fate is most unfortunate, not merely for Wayne but for the roofer pal who stands by watching his good buddy lose his head. Miss Resignation simply cannot win at Bingo. And there is nothing Typical about the unemployed steelworker and self-described piece of crud who strides through this collection s title story.
Welcome to the world of Padgett Powell, one of the most original American literary voices in recent memory. "Typical "is both a bravura demonstration of Powell s passion for words, and an offbeat, perceptive view of contemporary life an enthralling work by a one-of-a-kind wordsmith, and a redefinition of what short fiction can be."
About the Author
Padgett Powell is the author of six novels, including "The Interrogative Mood" and "You & Me. "His novel "Edisto" was a finalist for the National Book Award. His writing has appeared in the" New Yorker", " Harper s Magazine", " Little Star", and the "Paris Review", and he is the recipient of the Rome Fellowship in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, as well as the Whiting Writers Award. He lives in Gainesville, Florida, where he teaches writing at MFA@FLA, the writing program of the University of Florida.
About the Book
Twenty-three surreal fictions stories, character assassinations, and mini-travelogues from one of the most heralded writers of the American South
There are many things that repulse Dr. Ordinary. Kansas is notable for its distinct lack of farmland. Wayne s Fate is most unfortunate, not merely for Wayne but for the roofer pal who stands by watching his good buddy lose his head. Miss Resignation simply cannot win at Bingo. And there is nothing Typical about the unemployed steelworker and self-described piece of crud who strides through this collection s title story.
Welcome to the world of Padgett Powell, one of the most original American literary voices in recent memory. "Typical "is both a bravura demonstration of Powell s passion for words, and an offbeat, perceptive view of contemporary life an enthralling work by a one-of-a-kind wordsmith, and a redefinition of what short fiction can be."
Review Quotes
1. A sparkling collection. "Time"
Powell takes short stories to places where I ve rarely seen them go. "Chicago Tribune"
Powerful . . . Powell has an almost unequaled ability to bring Southern colloquial speech to the page. "The New York Times"
Lyrically intense and full of the surreal juxtapositions you find in the flotsam of floodwaters: stories at once edgy and exuberant. "Kirkus Reviews""
