On a novel and two original poems/jokes
Picked up a novel a few months ago called Hunter’s Moon: A Novel in Stories. It was published in 2019 by prolific author Philip Caputo. I was going through a “retail therapy” stage and other weirdness at the time last year when I bought it. I still haven’t read it fully yet but mean to.
It seems to use the same technique as Jerzy Kosinski had of writing fictional vignettes that can hang together into a full novel.
Here is a critical comment atop the front cover of Hunter’s Moon:
“Set in the wilds of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, these linked stories deftly probe the psychic wounds of men with lost jobs, bruised egos, and failed expectations: an unflinching reality check on the failed state of middle-age manhood today.” — The New York Times Book Review
Some thoughts. I like hiking in the country but am not comfortable with guns so don’t hunt. I think Caputo chose an interesting topic after all that Michigan went through since the mid-20th century with the problems of the Detroit auto industry competing with foreign-based competitors.
My dissertation advisor and teacher said Modernism in literature is about fragmentation. I think it suits modern preference for short passages and vignettes, rather than long narratives that require longer attention spans. For better or worse.
“Mean” by yours truly
What does the buddy’s silence mean?
What? Was that an inappropriate question?
“Only” by yours truly
“Sir, you’re the only one who thinks you are funny.”
“That’s okay for jokes still make it more sunny. ”
“But the jokes won’t make you money, and you have still been too punny!”
“Party of one. Still can be fun.”