I had to read stories from this collection for my literature class. These are the stories and my thoughts:Collection #1 Will You Please Be Quiet, Pleas?
Fat- This was an interesting story. It has a lot of Carver's main themes. It's nice, but nothing remarkable. (2 stars)
Neighbors- I will never ask someone to watch my house while I'm away. This was too weird and because of that it was incredibly entertaining. (3 stars)
The Idea- I read this one yesterday to decide if I wanted to read any more stories this collection and it convinced me that I'm not interested. This story was pointless. (1 star)
They're Not Your Husband- What a pig. That guy was a huge jerk. (3 stars)
Are You a Doctor?- That was weird. I felt as confused as that man in the story. (1 star)
The Father- Super short and minimalist, but nothing special. However, I really liked it? (3.5 stars)
What's in Alaska?- I loved this story. I wrote about in my paper on Carver. It's just really entertaining. (4 stars)
What Is It?- It's depressing, but it also feels like something is missing. (Which there probably is because Carver's earlier stories were heavily cut and edited.) [3 stars]
Collection #3 What We Talk About When We Talk About Love
Why Don't You Dance?- There was just something about this that I really liked. It's pretty short, but there's something about it. (3.75 stars)
Mr. Coffee and Mr. Fixit- This was confusing and just overall an underwhelming story. (1 star)
Gazebo- This was a strong story. It's probably one of his stronger ones. (4 stars)
I Could See the Smallest Things- Super short and just unnecessary. (2 stars)
The Bath- This one is depressing and bleak. (3.5 stars)
A Serious Talk- This one fits the holiday seasons and fits that one family member who purposely sets to ruin a holiday every year. (2 stars)
What We Talk About When We Talk About Love- This one is interesting and it kind of reminds of Plato's Symposium, but it's a much more minimalist and the philosophy isn't as broad. (3.25 stars)
Collection #5 Cathedral
A Small Good Thing- This was an original manuscript of The Bath and I prefer it much more. (4 stars)
Where I'm Calling From- Slightly depressing, but also kind of weird. (3 stars)
Cathedral- This story was really amazing. The ending was beautiful. (5 stars)
Overall Thoughts: I am not a huge fan of Carver. In fact, I remain to be unimpressed by him. He has a few good stories and one really great one, but to me he doesn't hold up. I don't know if I'll every finish reading this whole collection as of now, but maybe in the future, I'll want to revisit Carver.
Rating (as of 12/9/2017): 3 stars
The entirety of Of Poetry and Protest is gripping, moving, heartbreaking, and real. It's full of grit and truths that Americans sometimes look away from when it comes to the black community and this book expresses the plights of different sects within that community. It's an amazing collection and I tabbed so many poems. There were a handful of poems that I was personally not a fan (hence, why it is a 4.5 and not a 5-star rating), but there were so many wonderful poems that gripped me and moved me to my core. These are the type of poetry collections that should be gaining recognition, not stuff like milk and honey. This is the stuff that speaks for everyone and has truths that dig deep into the soul. I highly recommend checking Of Poetry and Protest out if you haven't because I promise you, it is an amazing experience.
I'm currently reading this book for my poetry class and this is just such a beautifully well-done novel. It's so wonderfully crafted and I'm so happy that I bought a copy instead of renting it. I'll be documenting the poems that I read in class.
Narrative: Ali, a poem in twelve rounds- Elizabeth Alexander
I absolutely adore the layout of this poem. It's genius and the poem itself is very different. It follows Muhammad Ali in twelve different sections. It has a lot of wonderful lines. I was really impressed with it.
Protest Poetry- Amiri Baraka
This is an essay on Baraka's stance on protest poetry and he has a very strong presence on the page. His spoken poems are even stronger. He was definitely an important cornerstone in the poetry movement. I'm glad I was introduced to him.
Fannie (of Fannie Lou Hamer)- Angela Jackson
I don't know. I wasn't a fan of this one. It didn't speak to me or move me. I just feel very indifferent towards it.
I Hear the Shuffle of the People's Feet- Sterling Plumpp
I really liked this piece. It's longer than a lot of the others in this collection, but it has a strong presence and touches on so many themes while painting this grand picture of the black struggle from a slave ship to Civil Rights. Really well done.
No Wound of Exit- Patricia Smith
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this poem. It made me cry. It hurt my heart and most of all I felt the picture that Smith was painting all the way down to the core of my soul. This is good poetry. I'm a fan of Smith for sure now.
Are you a fan of poetry or short stories? Who are your favorite poets / short story writers? Let me know down below in the comments!
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