Particularly earnest and incredibly powerful.
How would you sum up the American experience? There is really no simple answer to that question, as we are all shaped by our background, upbringing, experiences, and outlook. And these criteria differ wildly from one person to the next, one location to the next, one time period to the next. In David Joseph’s captivating collection, I Didn’t Know What To Say, So I Just Said Thanks, American culture is explored through a wide-angle lens, giving readers an opportunity to see where society has been and where we’re going. More than a dozen fictional accounts detail life, love, loss, and change, borne out through an array of distinct characters and intense scenes. The titular tale is a sharply observant and pointedly accurate yarn about that one kid in school who was always an enigma. Joseph’s writing has so much sincerity, you’ll be able to vividly remember a guy exactly like Lonnie. “He looked like someone we’d only seen in the movies, a man who emerges after a lengthy stint in prison with the type of untouchable bravado that can’t be manufactured.” Fishing is a stark, circle-of-life tale, where a seventeen-year-old muses on what it’s like to assert oneself, even at the cost of precious time with loved ones. The collection also spans topics as complex as racism and inherent bias, overlooked domestic abuse, the consequences of our choices, and wisdom that can be found in the most unlikely of places.
Particularly earnest and incredibly powerful, I Didn’t Know What To Say, So I Just Said Thanks is a thoughtful collection of stories about the humble moments in life that add up to the sum of our collective selves. Though some stories are little more than a moment or a memory, Joseph is able to capture the mindset of these dynamic characters and relate things in a way that pulls you in with just a few well-chosen words. Each account features a new personality or location, yet the crisp stories dovetail flawlessly one into the next in tone and tempo, making for pleasing transitions as readers move through this fictional treasure chest. Brimming with more realism than optimism, the overall mood paints the colorful and changing mosaic of American life in small snippets, free from sentimentality, nostalgia, or gloomy despair. Orville’s especially packs so much poignancy in just a few pages that it seems as though the author must have another anthology about these memorable characters already fleshed out. And that would be a novel I’d stand in line to read! Possessing a profound understanding of people and human nature, David Joseph has the rare gift of a balanced perspective and accuracy of observation. In this, the stories feel as comfortable as a conversation with a dear friend, the kind you’ll want to tell others about. With vivid scenes, complex characters, and more nuance than short stories ought to hold, this harmonious collection highlights the subtle and sometimes unspoken ways that people communicate, cope, and seek meaning as we fill our days.
