For the Westridge Alum Book club, we had an engaging session.

We watched the movie Smooth Talk which led to a lively discussion about the story Where are you going, Where have you been?

We also delved into a smattering of stories from each decade.

It was unanimously agreed that the author's topics were indeed troubling and often horrific. However, despite the disturbing nature of the themes, we all marveled at the author's mastery of the craft of short-story writing.

The way the stories were constructed, the characters developed, and the tension built was truly remarkable.

It made us appreciate the power of the short story as a literary form and how it can explore the darkest corners of the human psyche while still captivating and engaging the reader.

Overall, it was a thought-provoking and enjoyable meeting for the book club.

We didn't read the entire book for class; instead, we only read a few stories.

I truly liked "Life After High School." However, among the selections we read, that was the only one I liked, and that was only because it was very relatable to my own life.

As is often the case, I found most of the other stories to be rather boring. I simply cannot get interested in realistic fiction no matter how hard I try.

It seems that my literary preferences lean more towards other genres. Maybe it's because I find realistic fiction too similar to real life, lacking the excitement and escapism that I seek in books.

Nonetheless, I understand the importance of being exposed to different types of literature in order to expand my reading horizons. So, although I may not enjoy realistic fiction as much as other genres, I will still continue to give it a try and see if my perspective might change over time.

Who knows, maybe one day I'll discover a realistic fiction story that will capture my imagination and make me a convert.

I was a boy of the 70's. In 1970, I was 8 years old, and in 1979, I was 17. Joyce Carol Oates is truly such a remarkable and, in a way, almost a monstrously talented writer.

Here are some of the story titles from the table of contents: "The 1970s: Small avalanches; Concerning the case of Bobbie T.; Tryst; Lady with the pet dog; Dead".

I dare you to read these stories. They are filled with a sense of mystery and an atmosphere that can be described as "high lonesome". The titles themselves evoke a certain curiosity and make you wonder what lies within each story. Joyce Carol Oates has a unique way of capturing the essence of the human experience and presenting it in a way that is both captivating and thought-provoking. Reading her work is like embarking on a journey into the unknown, where you never know what you will discover. So, go ahead and take up the challenge. Open these stories and let yourself be immersed in the world that Joyce Carol Oates has created.

What the fuck? This phrase might seem rather vulgar and inappropriate at first glance. However, in certain contexts, it can express a wide range of emotions such as shock, surprise, anger, or frustration.

Sometimes, people use it when they encounter something unexpected or unbelievable. For example, if someone sees a car crash right in front of them, they might exclaim "What the fuck?" in a moment of shock.

On the other hand, it can also be used in a more angry or frustrated way. When someone is faced with a difficult situation or is being treated unfairly, they might use this phrase to vent their emotions.

Nevertheless, it's important to note that using such language in public or in formal settings is generally not acceptable. It can be offensive to others and may give a negative impression of the person using it.

In conclusion, while "What the fuck?" may have its uses in expressing strong emotions, it should be used sparingly and with caution. We should always strive to communicate in a more respectful and appropriate manner.

I am still in the process of reading this collection, and as I do so, I feel compelled to share my thoughts on these stories while they are still fresh in my mind.

Oates has a penchant for writing some rather dark material. She could easily fit into the Gothic genre, perhaps even be a writer for a literary version of the Lifetime Channel. However, despite the darkness, there is often a good story lurking within her words.

The collection kicks off with "Spider Boy," which tells the tale of a young son who becomes a material witness to his father's crimes, and "The Fish Factory," where a missing girl's body is discovered and then vanishes again.

"The Cousins" and "Soft Core" are two stories that I had the pleasure of reading before. The former is told through letters between two Jewish cousins, one a retired housewife and the other a renowned scientist, and the desire to engage evolves as the story progresses. The latter follows two sisters as they sift through their deceased father's belongings and come face to face with evidence of his infidelities.

"The Gathering Squall" centers around a young girl who is assaulted at a beach party by several young men. She had been disappointed that a boy she liked had abandoned her to this fate and allows her parents to believe that he was the attacker.

In "The Lost Brother," a wealthy widow decides that the time is right to track down her older brother, who lives a hermit-like existence in Northern Maine. However, he has no desire to be found.

"In Hot May" follows a young high school girl who discovers that her door is locked when she gets off the bus one day. Both of her parents' cars are in the driveway, adding to her worry, as her father has moved out. When her mother finally appears, disheveled and bruised, and asks the young girl to drive her to her aunt's house, the reader begins to suspect what has happened.

"High Lonesome" is narrated by a young man who recalls growing up admiring an older cousin who becomes a police officer. Later, when the family's patriarch is arrested in a prostitution sting, he blames the cousin for not intervening. One crime leads to another, more serious one.

"BD 11 1 87" is, so far, the best story in the collection. However, I know a Nobel Prize winner who might feel a bit cheated. Still, when the light bulb goes off in your head, it's a wonderful moment.

"Fat Man, My Love" acknowledges in its notes that it is based on a tell-all book about Hitchcock and his fascination with Tippi Hendren. While it may be fictionalized to some extent, it's clear that the great director had some rather interesting predilections.

"Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear" is a brief piece about a young girl who is aware that the town pharmacist has become infatuated with her and admits to herself that she enjoys the attention.

"Upon the Sleeping Flood" tells the story of a man who, on his way home to his family after his father's funeral, is caught in a raging flood and helps two almost feral children ride out the storm.

"At the Seminary" follows a family as they travel to the seminary where their oldest child is studying. They have been called to see what can be done to help the young man, who seems to be cracking under the pressure. The daughter has an experience that seems to disrupt the original plan. This story has been widely anthologized, but I must admit that the explanations I've read don't quite add up for me.

"In the Region of Ice" features a Catholic nun who teaches at a Jesuit College and encounters a young Jewish man. This student challenges her, but he is also clearly unbalanced, and this requires more from her than she is comfortable with.

"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been" is a story that I had read previously. It recounts the encounter of a young teen girl with a dangerous predator who singles her out at a local diner.

"How I Contemplated the World From the Detroit House of Corrections, and Began My Life Over Again" is told in a bullet format and follows a young woman of privilege who gets mixed up with drugs, sex, and bad people.

"Four Summers" is a very good story narrated by a woman who remembers her childhood experiences at a lake resort and restaurant. Four different summers are recounted, with the last one taking place when she is a pregnant nineteen-year-old.

"Small Avalanches" follows another young girl on the verge of adolescence. A man spots her at the local store and later asks her if she needs a ride home. She declines, but he ends up chasing her into a field. He is so out of shape that he collapses, possibly from a heart attack. She never seems to fully understand the danger she was in.

"Concerning the Case of Bobby T" is a story told out of sequence from the perspective of a white woman's memory. When she was twelve, sassy and bored, she provoked an eighteen-year-old, intellectually dull, black man. She had been friendly with him before, even daring, and had taken a ride with him once, knowing that it would cause trouble if her father found out. On this particular day, after provoking Bobby, he overreacts and wrestles her to the ground. This leads to his incarceration in a home until he is forty, when he comes to live with his sister, now so broken that crossing the street scares him.

"The Tryst" introduces us to Mr. Reddinger, a reputable man in a nice neighborhood who is having an affair with a tall, young red-headed woman. Feeling bold, almost self-sabotaging, he brings her to his home for a day of passion. However, things take a turn when she locks herself in the bathroom and attempts to cut her wrist. He manages to save her and gets her into a cab, but the wound, though superficial, is still bloody. We never find out how he cleans up the mess, both literally and figuratively.

"The Lady With the Pet Dog" is an obvious homage to the Chekhov story of the same name. We meet another couple who meet on vacation and begin an affair that, against their better judgment, extends into their real lives.

"The Dead" follows a woman, a writer in the sixties, who has an affair with a professor and eventually leaves her husband and lover to start over. Her third book achieves unexpected commercial success. In the sixties, campuses are ablaze with various causes, and later, she discovers that a passionate student from her early teaching days has died. It all becomes too much for her to bear.

"Last Days" is a story from the eighties that is unfortunately still relevant today. It tells the tale of a young man who denies his Jewish heritage, or at least hates it, and ends up shooting his rabbi.

"My Warszawa : 1980" is a story that, at almost novella length, just didn't hold my interest.

"Our Wall" is another story about the people around Berlin that didn't quite work for me.

"Ravens Wing" is yet another weaker story that follows a working man's infatuation with a thoroughbred race horse.

"Golden Gloves" tells the story of a young man who grows up with a club foot and later becomes a boxer, a successful teen fighter. He dreams of becoming a future champion, but his career is cut short when he is defeated in a brutal battle, his jaw and teeth shattered.

"Manslaughter" follows a young woman who testifies against a man in the death of his wife. Later, a good friend of the accused starts dating this woman.

"Nairobi" is a short piece that follows an attractive woman on a shopping expedition with her man. He selects outfits for her, and we later learn that they are going to meet an important couple. He instructs her on how to act, etc. After the brief meeting, during which they make an excuse about having another appointment, he pays her, and we assume that they will never see her again.

In "Heat," we meet two twin girls and learn the story of their disappearance. The narrator admits that she wasn't there, but then claims that there are things that you just know. The young man responsible for their death is a mentally deficient young man who works at his family's ice business.

"The Knife" tells the story of a burglary that goes wrong and results in the woman of the house being raped.

"The Hair" follows two couples in their friendly relationship. The Riegels are more refined, confident, and wealthy than the Carsons. It's almost like a high school relationship, with the Carsons basking in the Riegels' glow while also feeling subservient and angry at them. Eventually, they break free and feel better for it.

"The Swimmers" is told by the narrator, who shares the story of a relationship that developed between her bachelor uncle and an attractive but mysterious woman who moved to their town. The niece first meets the woman swimming at the town pool. Joan Lunt is an incredible swimmer, and when the niece mentions this to Clyde, he arranges to swim at the same time. To everyone's surprise, a relationship does develop. However, the woman is holding back something, and when it is revealed, it has a fatal impact on the relationship.

"Will You Always Love Me" tells the story of a man who is in a relationship with a woman who shares a story from her past. Her older sister was attacked, taped, and murdered when she was nineteen, and the woman herself was fourteen at the time. Now, the man who was convicted is up for parole after serving a portion of a life sentence. The man in the relationship, a trained lawyer, wants to be supportive and researches the case. He begins to suspect that the man convicted may not be guilty, as the statements seem boilerplate. However, the woman he is with needs the man to be in jail. She needs him to be the guilty party.

"Life After High School" follows a young couple in upstate New York in 1959. They're not really a couple, just a boy, a senior in high school, who is obsessed with a girl. Finally, when she rejects him as easily as she can, he takes his own life. Thirty years later, the woman and another boy from their class, both successful in the art and academic worlds, meet. The man reveals that there was more to the young man's death than meets the eye, and the guilt that the woman has been carrying may not be entirely hers.

"Mark of Satan" is a story that didn't quite work for me. It felt scattered and disjointed, and while Oates' darkness is often a part of her charm, in this case, it just didn't come together.

Overall, this is not a bad set of stories. However, they will make you question the goodness of everyone you meet. I've read a fair amount of Oates' work, and while this collection has its moments, I'm not sure it's the best representation of her talent.

Whoever said 'quantity has a quality all of its own' clearly never delved into the works of Joyce Carol Oates. It's not as if she writes poorly; in fact, she is a highly accomplished writer. Nor is it that she can't keep her ego in check; on the contrary, unusually for Americans, she is quite self-effacing. However, the issue lies in the fact that Oates' stories often bear a striking resemblance to one another. They seem to be like an endless, unbroken line of link sausages, each one almost indistinguishable from the next. The question that lingers is whether Oates is truly capable of envisioning a world that is devoid of violence, passive-aggression, and hysteria. Can she break free from this repetitive pattern and offer readers a fresh and unique perspective? Only time will tell.

Clearly, JCO has had a profound influence on a great number of writers. Some of these writers are among my personal favorites. What's remarkable about JCO is that she was writing against the current of pomo or at least managed to avoid getting entangled in the gimmicks and tricks of experimental literature over the past 40 years. She remained steadfast in the belief that a story should center around the character. In contrast to Flannery, who examines her characters and emphasizes the negative aspects and limitations, JCO appears to have a tendency to attempt to make all characters, whether they are murderers, the abused, or the naive, sympathetic. However, there seems to be something lacking here. The more I delve into her works, the more I come to realize that this missing element is something that I truly require in literature. As I continue to read, my liking for her writing gradually diminishes.

UGH! I will admit that I have extremely high standards when it comes to short stories. In my opinion, no one can compare to O Henry. However, these particular short stories were such utter rubbish. They were just completely empty stories that were filled to the brim with heaping loads of sadness and pain. It was truly a dreadful experience. No thank you!

This has actually helped me establish a secondary reading goal. Instead of mindlessly continuing to sink time into books that I'm not enjoying in order to add them to my "finished" pile, I have decided that it's okay not to finish more books. I will now be more discerning in my reading choices and only invest my time in stories that truly capture my interest and imagination.

The Flannery O'Connor of the Rust Belt is a term that has been used to describe a particular writer or group of writers who hail from the Rust Belt region and possess a certain literary style or sensibility similar to that of Flannery O'Connor.

Flannery O'Connor is renowned for her powerful and often darkly comic stories that explore themes of morality, religion, and the human condition. Writers in the Rust Belt who are compared to her may also deal with these themes, but through the lens of the unique social and economic circumstances of their region.

The Rust Belt has experienced significant economic decline and social upheaval in recent decades, and these experiences are likely to be reflected in the work of its writers. Their stories may depict the struggles of working-class people, the breakdown of communities, and the search for meaning and purpose in a changing world.

Like O'Connor, these writers may use vivid and often grotesque imagery to convey their messages, and their characters may be complex and flawed individuals who are forced to confront their own shortcomings and make difficult choices. The Flannery O'Connor of the Rust Belt represents a new and exciting voice in American literature, one that has the potential to offer a fresh perspective on the human experience.

Fantastic! It has become a wonderful routine for me to read a story during each lunch break. The moment I open the book, I am immediately transported into a different world, filled with excitement, adventure, and emotions. It's like a mini-escape from the hustle and bustle of the daily grind. I truly love this activity as it not only relaxes me but also enriches my imagination. Each story is like a precious gem, waiting to be discovered and cherished. Whether it's a heartwarming tale or a thrilling mystery, it always manages to capture my attention and keep me engaged until the very end. I look forward to these lunch break reading sessions with great anticipation, and I can't wait to see what new stories await me in the future.

Joyce Carol Oates is my favorite woman writer.

Her works are truly remarkable and have had a profound impact on me.

One of the things I love most about her writing is her ability to create complex and vivid characters.

She delves deep into their psyches, exploring their emotions, desires, and fears with great precision.

Her stories are often filled with psychological depth and nuance, making them both engaging and thought-provoking.

Another aspect of her writing that I admire is her use of language.

She has a beautiful and lyrical prose style that flows smoothly and effortlessly.

Her descriptions are rich and detailed, painting a vivid picture in the reader's mind.

Whether she is writing about a small town in America or a bustling city, she brings the setting to life in a way that makes it feel real and tangible.

Overall, Joyce Carol Oates is a masterful writer, and her works are a must-read for anyone who loves literature.

Her ability to tell a great story while also exploring important themes and ideas is truly remarkable, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

Beautiful, disturbing, fascinating... There is something here for everyone.

This place is a unique blend of captivating elements. The beauty that greets you is almost overwhelming, with its stunning landscapes and charming architecture.

However, beneath the surface lies a hint of the disturbing. There are secrets and mysteries that lurk in the shadows, waiting to be discovered.

Despite this, it remains utterly fascinating. The allure of the unknown draws you in, making you eager to explore further.

Whether you are a seeker of beauty, a lover of the mysterious, or simply someone looking for an unforgettable experience, this place has something to offer.

It will leave you with a sense of wonder and a desire to return again and again.

So come and discover the beauty, the disturbance, and the fascination that awaits you here.

You won't be disappointed.