On Friday, Oct. 7, 5-7 p.m., there will be a launch party at Broad Ripple Tavern, 745 Broad Ripple Avenue. George Wilson’s “Rossville: Collected Short Stories” consists of four short stories and three short paragraphs in a short final section.
Each story seems to appeal to a different group of readers. If you like gratuitous violence and salacious narratives a/k/a low-brow smut, you will be disappointed. The stories share a comedic tone, albeit light. They also have good plots.
“The Ballad of Duane and Dixie” gives insights of a narrator whose biases toward those of what can be described as lower middle-class nonetheless are humorous, but not the scale of blow-soda-pop-through-the-nose, fall-down laughing.
“The Big Guy” is my favorite of the four stories. George draws on memories of small-town auto repair shops and travel between various small tracks around the State as his title character takes a shot at auto racing. The details of small-time racing in the 1950s are not delivered to impress the reader of the author’s knowledge and, as a result, feel genuine.
“The Frenetix” concerns middle-aged members of a one-hit wonder rock band that, years later, tries to be relevant. The author’s draw on years of experience of self-reflection is a component that makes the story original and, importantly, of more relevance than the band in the title.
“Smalltown” is set in a small town to which the narrator has returned to operate the family business after his father Suffers a stroke. This coming-of-middle life story can hit close to home, but in a well-written. So remember: today, Friday, October 7, 5-7 p.m. at BRT.