In this Book
- A Bright Soothing Noise
- Book
- 2010
- Published by: University of North Texas Press
- Series: Katherine Anne Porter Prize in Short Fiction
summary
The title, A Bright Soothing Noise, refers to the sound that fire makes, promising not only warmth and light but also violence and destruction. Brown’s greatest hero is Frank O’Connor, and like O’Connor’s his stories uncover the final bleakness of a national life but in the same moment glow with its promise of love and life and belonging. Brown’s Americans will try almost anything to connect. They tend to drink too much, to drive too fast, are a little too violent in their passions and even a little too religious. Too often they believe, they trust—and then again they don’t, depending not so much on what’s getting proffered as who’s proffering. They are always on the verge of something better. They only want a little more, only a little too much, and while we as readers want with all our hearts for them to get it, we also fear they might. “This highly entertaining collection of stories has the scenic intensity and quality of Tennessee Williams's one-act plays. Meet a varied cast of characters in strange settings, and enjoy their provocative and witty company.”—Josip Novakovich, author of April Fool’s Day: A Novel and judge
Table of Contents
Download Full Book
- Half Title
- pp. i-ii
- Title Page
- pp. iii-iv
- Dedication
- pp. v-vi
- Table of Contents
- pp. vii-viii
- Acknowledgments
- pp. ix-x
- A Deeper Color
- pp. 1-20
- The Slaughterhouse
- pp. 21-39
- Since It's You
- pp. 40-55
- The Blue Carriage
- pp. 69-90
- The Dancer
- pp. 91-111
- Yolanda's Pool
- pp. 112-127
- The Darkest Hole in the Globe
- pp. 128-142
- My New Life
- pp. 143-162
- A Bright Soothing Noise
- pp. 185-212
Additional Information
ISBN
9781574413311
Related ISBN(s)
9781574412918
MARC Record
OCLC
794700547
Pages
224
Launched on MUSE
2011-07-21
Language
English
Open Access
No