  Short Stories
This week: Transgressions and Taboos Edited by: Shannon  
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Welcome to the Short Stories Newsletter. I am Shannon and I'm your editor this week. |
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"Whenever a taboo is broken something good happens, something vitalizing. Taboos, after all, are only hangovers--the products of diseased minds you might say, of fearsome people who hadn't the courage to live and who under the guise of morality and religion have imposed these things upon us."
~ Henry Miller
That's a pretty harsh criticism, and I don't necessarily agree with it 100%, but there's no doubt certain taboos make us uncomfortable. They distress us and make us feel all icky inside. Writers who specialize in taboo subjects want to make us squirm, and no one does it better than Daniel Woodrell.
Back in 2002 I read my first Woodrell book, The Death of Sweet Mister. It's one of those books that haunts you for days, weeks, months. You close your eyes and see the characters when all you really want to do is forget (or take a shower).
Next I read Tomato Red, and I was hooked. I started reading everything of Woodrell's I could get my hands on. One you might've heard of is Winter's Bone, which was subsequently made into a film in 2010 starring Jennifer Lawrence.
Daniel Woodrell is a brilliant writer. His prose, which he calls "country noir", is crisp, clean, and compelling. It's raw, repugnant at times, and undeniably real. There is no redemption here. One Amazon reader described it best in his review of Tomato Red:
"I grew up within 50 miles of Woodrell's current home, and I'm here to tell you, this is the real thing. That boy's hitting the nail on the head. But if you read further you'll find other reviews. In them, someone will say 'I wasted my money on a book about white trash. I forced myself to finish it'. I'm sorry to see reviews like that about any of Woodrell's books. I could be wrong, but I don't think he's writing books for folks who have to force themselves to finish 'em. He's writing for those of us who relish tales about no-account hillbilly 2-time losers making bad decisions and living to regret it. Consider this a warning, if you're not happy reading about small town yokels who're tired of their boring lives, disgusted with poverty yet unable to escape it, losers plotting revenge on the local gentry for stomping on their dreams, just building up steam and ready to smash the next bossman who looks at them the wrong way...stay away. Do us all a favor and just stick with something you'll enjoy. This stuff's not for you. Spend your money on something sweeter, or with more car chases or whatever you enjoy. Those among you who think you'd like to read well crafted novels that happen to be about some of life's castaway citizens, books where every word has been considered and all the flab slashed away, c'mon in, the water's fine." ~ A Customer on March 12, 1999
I've lived in small-town America my whole life (Alaska, Montana, Nevada, Idaho)--these stories hit a little too close to home, and the proximity is terrifying.
I mention Daniel Woodrell's writing because it is fearless; he shines the glaring light of truth on aspects of human nature the majority of us feel are better left in the dark. He embraces the taboo, exposing our bitter secrets for all to see. His characters stand on their soapbox and shout, "Here I am! Take a good long look. What you see is what you get. I won't sugarcoat it for you, and I don't need your approval."
It's a scary thing, writing taboo subject matter, but some of history's most memorable works are tales of transgression and taboo, many of which were banned as a result. Here are a few examples::
 Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller: "After all, who would not be curious about a book described by a Pennsylvania judge as ‘an open sewer, a pit of putrefaction, a slimy gathering of all that is rotten in the debris of human depravity’?" 1
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. "After being called 'the filthiest book I have ever read' by the editor of the Sunday Express, the Home Office seized all copies of the book in 1955 on the grounds that it was pornography." 2
Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence. "Temporarily banned in the United States and the United Kingdom for violation of obscenity laws; both bans were lifted in 1959 and 1960, respectively. Banned in Australia from 1929 to 1965.3
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. "The Catcher in the Rye was an instant success upon publication in July 1951. By August it was on The New York Times best-seller list and had been reprinted five times. However, the book also faced bans for 'bad language,' 'vulgarity' and 'sexual references.' By 1963, the American Book Publisher’s Council reported that The Catcher in the Rye had become the most censored book in American public schools. It remains a frequently censored book to this day." 4
The Lord of the Flies by William Golding. "Challenged in the Waterloo, IA schools (1992) because of profanity, lurid passages about sex, and statements defamatory to minorities, God, women and the disabled." 5
As writers, we learn pretty quickly that you can't please everyone. Of course it's scary, but there's also something delicious and exhilarating about writing the taboo. If you're gonna do it, give it 110%. Don't hold back. Come out with both arms swinging and be fearless!
Notes:
1. http://theculturetrip.com/north-america/articles/the-12-most-famous-banned-books...
2. http://www.shortlist.com/home/10-banned-books
3. http://www.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_books_banned_by_governments#Alp...
4. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/jd-salinger-film-outtake-the-catcher-in-...
5. http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/classics/reasons
"I've always been attracted to things that are taboo. I've never been afraid to go to that dark place."
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I hope you enjoy this week's featured selections. Please do the authors the courtesy of reviewing the ones you read. Thank you, and have a great week!
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And my own attempt at the genre. I was terrified to post this story after I finished it. The protagonist is so offensive, so not PC that I feared readers wouldn't be able to see past her to the story itself and the prompt for which it was written ... but I posted it anyway, and it won 3rd place.
If you're looking for a safe place to spread your wings, so to speak, try this contest. It encourages introspection, creativity, and fearlessness--weapons every writer needs in their arsenal.
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People are out and about enjoying summerly things, but a couple people stepped away from the BBQ long enough to shoot me a comment about last month's newsletter.  The following is in response to "A Reluctant Hero" :
willwilcox writes, "Great interview, thanks for sharing." Thank you, Bill! I'm glad you liked it. 
Advent Pumpkin  writes, "Great interview. Thanks for printing it." You're very welcome! Thank you for reading and commenting, Pumpkin! 
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Short Stories: June 15, 2016 Issue [#7689]
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