July 16th, 2009 / 11:36 am
Author Spotlight

World Takes: Stories by Timmy Waldron

Word Riot Press recently published World Takes, a collection of stories by Timmy Waldron. Many of these stories appeared online in journals, including “Worry for the Well Rested” on pindeldyboz and “Things You Would Know About Paul if You Were His Friend” on eyeshot. And yet, buy the book for the ones that you can’t find online,  and to have this wonderfully shaped collection in its entirety. My philosophy about story collections is that  they are like albums more than novels. What story is chosen to go first, second, last and so forth, greatly shape the book. Often, there are a few “hits”.  Sometimes, there is filler. Many a poor collection revolve around only one or two good stories. This is not the case with Waldron’s World Takes.  Here is a collection perfectly shaped, with a strong punch of a first story, “Amanda”, that sets the dark, funny tone for the book. In “Amanda”, Waldron employs a fantastic use of first and second person, where the second person is not just an inversion of first person, but rather, the narrator actually addresses another person:

 Remember all those restless nights of worry and tears? They really weren’t worth much in the end. But hey, there were some laughs along  the way. Remember that time that thing happened, and we all laughed and high fived? I bet you do, mainly because your life isn’t so great, and you sit up at night, in the darkness, thinking up things to worry over. What’s that all about? Inventing things to worry about, it’s a waste of time. But I guess that’s what makes you an artist. 

We never find out what that thing that happened was, but it hardly matters. The ghostliness of it is enough- the mood is everything, and yet this is a short short filled with excellent details. The narrator seems ambivalent to Amanda (the “you” in this story).  Indeed, toward the end he admits; “”I guess what it all boils down to is I hate you.” Yet, as snide as he is- and I have soft spot for stories that make fun of suffering artists if they are done well–we soon find out he is no better off.

The outside world, oh the big bad outside world, you can have it. I’m going out to the desert for awhile. There’s a camp in the wastelands that teaches you things about people and nature and walking around. There is a lot of walking around. In fact, it is not a camp at all, it is just a location…The camp costs eight hundred dollars. Which brings me to the point: could I borrow some money?

And so it goes. We need things from people, even people we don’t really like. Throughout the collection, Waldron’s characters exhibit a simmering wrongness and inevitable falling apart. Whereas Cormac McCarthy’s work always portrays an aspect of chaos theory, Waldron’s stories better exemplify the theory of entropy. And Waldron is often funny, but usually in a very uncomfortable way. In the story “Before Floyd Hit” , which takes place in a high school and roams many points of views–from frighteningly, sexually repressed teachers, to the strange kid who is getting fucked, figuratively and literally, by the selfish, pretty girl (whose inner workings we get a look at as well), to the roided out jock–Waldron nails them all:

The pills Trip scored for him probably weren’t helping. They weren’t pure steroids. He didn’t want his hair to fall out or his balls to shrivel up. But the pills did have a kick. They had  taken seconds off his timed mile, put a little extra torque behind his hits, and added fourteen pounds of  solid muscle to his frame since summer. He thought they might also have been the reason he raped Janice Reece after the last dance.

Here is the casual sadism of adolescence, the undeniable narcissism that grips most of us in our youth, expertly rendered.  His depictions of the teachers are equally compelling:

Unfortunately for Karen, yesterday was gone and today her life was rotten with problems. Her fiance had left her last night, no face to face explanation, just a note: “Those pictures from the party are out. I was sent a copy of them by one of the brothers. I can’t marry you. It’s too embarrassing for my family. Wish it didn’t  go down like this. Love, Alan. P.S. I heard that a bunch of guys from the old house have posted them online. 

And even though everyone’s lives whirl in a storm of destruction and chaos, these stories have their moments of beauty and redemption, although they tend to appear accidental, which may be a perfect way to express such things. Grace is mysterious, whether by God’s hand or from the laws of physics, and Waldron, amidst his humor, his grasp of the absurb and depiction of weakness and violence, knows this.  

 Lastly, I want to say that World Takes  represents how independent presses can do more than publish books that are too experimental (although many of these stories are formally interesting, for sure) for the major publishers, but also can publish  books that make you think, “why doesn’t this guy have a major publisher?”  (Elizabeth Ellen does that to me.)  And the answer to that would be that they can’t publish every good thing out there, can they?  That all presses are run by humans, and many a press will pass up, wrongly, a very good book. I have no idea whether or not  Waldron tried to get a major publisher in the first place, but that isn’t totally my point. What I mean to emphasize here is how indie presses can offer a different benefit to the readers of the world: they can publish the surplus of excellent manuscripts, that for whatever non-reason, are not getting published by Random House.

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37 Comments

  1. ryan

      i’ve always thought of story collections (and poetry collections) the same way. and i tend to obsess over the way these collections are put together the way i do when listening to an album. maybe my brain is too analytical? i dunno. if nothing else its interesting (to me) to try and determine why the order was picked. i would like to read writer commentaries on books, like directors do for films. then again i was told once that would be boring. apparently i like things that other people think are boring, this is being revealed to me slowly over the course of my adult life.

  2. ryan

      i’ve always thought of story collections (and poetry collections) the same way. and i tend to obsess over the way these collections are put together the way i do when listening to an album. maybe my brain is too analytical? i dunno. if nothing else its interesting (to me) to try and determine why the order was picked. i would like to read writer commentaries on books, like directors do for films. then again i was told once that would be boring. apparently i like things that other people think are boring, this is being revealed to me slowly over the course of my adult life.

  3. david erlewine

      Great post and I will definitely buy this collection. I’ve heard the title comes from the Trenton sign – “Trenton makes – the World Takes”. Someone wrote (on htmlgiant?) – “ha, the most bitter sign ever!” That about sums it up. I spend a lot of time off exit 9 in NJ Tpk with my in-laws so I might like this book even more than I otherwise would.

  4. david erlewine

      Great post and I will definitely buy this collection. I’ve heard the title comes from the Trenton sign – “Trenton makes – the World Takes”. Someone wrote (on htmlgiant?) – “ha, the most bitter sign ever!” That about sums it up. I spend a lot of time off exit 9 in NJ Tpk with my in-laws so I might like this book even more than I otherwise would.

  5. pr

      Ryan- I have a fetish for story collections and thier structure. We could be boring together about that. Jesus Son was a very well put together story collection, as was Bad Behavior. Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Love. Annie Proulx I find a tiny tiny bit guilty of some filler- but her strong ones are so strong it’s forgivable. Then there is the McClanahan I recently reviewed- really, really carefully constructed and same goes for Knockemstiff, I think. Those two- zero filler. I’m not against filler- occasionally I think- yeah! even a person who writes a fantastic piece of short fiction writes some not so great ones! And I find that comforting. Other days, I get enraged…as in, if this fucking bitch getst touted everywhere because of that one nyorker story that was good, even though basically ever other story was eh, what is wrong with the world??!! It’s day to day here in my head.

      David- that is funny about the sign. I not know that. It’s really good. though–Do buy it.

  6. Janey Smith

      Deleuze.

  7. Janey Smith

      Deleuze.

  8. ryan

      i liked the McClanahan a lot. haven’t made it to Knockemstiff yet, but it’s in the queue, so to speak. also, World Takes has full distribution, which is cool. i just ordered a copy. i’m thinking i may have to use the shit out of my ability to order books while i’m sitting around at the store while it lasts.

      i understand the day-to-day… i’ve been teetering on the edge of a mental breakdown, so don’t feel bad!

      oh, also, i’ll try to think of some other story collections that i thought were immaculate for you :)

  9. ryan

      i liked the McClanahan a lot. haven’t made it to Knockemstiff yet, but it’s in the queue, so to speak. also, World Takes has full distribution, which is cool. i just ordered a copy. i’m thinking i may have to use the shit out of my ability to order books while i’m sitting around at the store while it lasts.

      i understand the day-to-day… i’ve been teetering on the edge of a mental breakdown, so don’t feel bad!

      oh, also, i’ll try to think of some other story collections that i thought were immaculate for you :)

  10. Mr. Wonderful

      Yeah, but while everyone will agree that a given collection has filler, nobody ever agrees on which stories are the best and which are filler, especially compared to albums, which usually have at least 2 or 3 songs that everyone agrees rock completely and a couple that suck.

  11. Mr. Wonderful

      Yeah, but while everyone will agree that a given collection has filler, nobody ever agrees on which stories are the best and which are filler, especially compared to albums, which usually have at least 2 or 3 songs that everyone agrees rock completely and a couple that suck.

  12. davidpeak

      i don’t know what you’re reading, or what you’re listening to, but i disagree with this entirely.

  13. davidpeak

      i don’t know what you’re reading, or what you’re listening to, but i disagree with this entirely.

  14. pr

      I think filler can be obvious in albums and story collections. Proulx had this one story, I believe, from the pov of a badger that was pretty bad. Maybe I’ll try to find it later and quote from it. Other stories in that collection I read over and over- THe Wamsutter Wolf was in that collection.

  15. pr

      I think filler can be obvious in albums and story collections. Proulx had this one story, I believe, from the pov of a badger that was pretty bad. Maybe I’ll try to find it later and quote from it. Other stories in that collection I read over and over- THe Wamsutter Wolf was in that collection.

  16. pr

      In Bad Dirt, Proulx has a story partially from the point of Badgers. It’s called “The Old Badger Game”. It is only 6 pages long. The pov changes, but lots of the pov are from the pov of badgers. Full on filler. (Great collection in general btw.)

      “”Here, in the morning sunshine, the three badgers met,exchanged remarks on the vagaries of life and recent wind speeds in the whistles, grunts, and growls that pass for communication among them. One of the badgers had held down a teaching job at the university up in Bozeman for af few years–creative writing or barge navigation–but had retired to the ranch. Two of the trio, including the university badger, were stout and ordinary. The third had a redidish tinge to his fur but was as ignorant as a horseshoe.”

      On the one hand, maybe we can give her credit for experimenting. But this is a collection that includes The Wamsutter Wolf, a truly brilliant story, perhaps in a traditional sense. “The Old Badger Game” is filler. But I forgive her. She is an awesomely great writer.

  17. pr

      In Bad Dirt, Proulx has a story partially from the point of Badgers. It’s called “The Old Badger Game”. It is only 6 pages long. The pov changes, but lots of the pov are from the pov of badgers. Full on filler. (Great collection in general btw.)

      “”Here, in the morning sunshine, the three badgers met,exchanged remarks on the vagaries of life and recent wind speeds in the whistles, grunts, and growls that pass for communication among them. One of the badgers had held down a teaching job at the university up in Bozeman for af few years–creative writing or barge navigation–but had retired to the ranch. Two of the trio, including the university badger, were stout and ordinary. The third had a redidish tinge to his fur but was as ignorant as a horseshoe.”

      On the one hand, maybe we can give her credit for experimenting. But this is a collection that includes The Wamsutter Wolf, a truly brilliant story, perhaps in a traditional sense. “The Old Badger Game” is filler. But I forgive her. She is an awesomely great writer.

  18. jereme

      oh i read wamsutter pr. i forgot to tell you.

      so if you want to discuss we can.

  19. jereme

      oh i read wamsutter pr. i forgot to tell you.

      so if you want to discuss we can.

  20. pr

      You did? I feel I sort of forced it on you. Tell me what you thought, I reallly would love your opinion.

  21. pr

      You did? I feel I sort of forced it on you. Tell me what you thought, I reallly would love your opinion.

  22. jackie corley

      david –

      yes the title comes from the Trenton bridge sign. i went tripping around a construction zone to get a good shot of the bridge sign for the book cover of this most awesome book.

      timmy’s an insanely fantastic writer. i’m so honored to have published him.

  23. jackie corley

      david –

      yes the title comes from the Trenton bridge sign. i went tripping around a construction zone to get a good shot of the bridge sign for the book cover of this most awesome book.

      timmy’s an insanely fantastic writer. i’m so honored to have published him.

  24. Nick

      I think I wrote that. It is the most bitter sign ever. And this collection is great.

  25. Nick

      I think I wrote that. It is the most bitter sign ever. And this collection is great.

  26. Timmy

      This is amazing! Thanks pr, you’re a queen. I…I love you.

  27. Timmy

      This is amazing! Thanks pr, you’re a queen. I…I love you.

  28. sister regan

      timmy continues to amaze me with each passing day. watching him progress in his chosen art is a gift. he truly blows my mind. (by the way, he is an amazingly wonderful person so all the better to watch him be recognized for his gift.)

  29. sister regan

      timmy continues to amaze me with each passing day. watching him progress in his chosen art is a gift. he truly blows my mind. (by the way, he is an amazingly wonderful person so all the better to watch him be recognized for his gift.)

  30. Todd Zuniga

      Great piece and a deserving writer being lauded. World Takes for the win!

  31. Todd Zuniga

      Great piece and a deserving writer being lauded. World Takes for the win!

  32. david erlewine

      Very cool, Jackie, thanks for confirming. I am looking forward to reading the collection.

  33. david erlewine

      Very cool, Jackie, thanks for confirming. I am looking forward to reading the collection.

  34. david erlewine

      That must be Nick A! Yep, I think you did (maybe on your blog)? Very cool.

  35. david erlewine

      That must be Nick A! Yep, I think you did (maybe on your blog)? Very cool.

  36. david erlewine

      Is that you Mr. Orndorff?

  37. david erlewine

      Is that you Mr. Orndorff?