Pretty: Stories

by Greg Kearney

From loss, illness, and addiction to spooky offspring, dry skin, and inexplicable hope, this collection of �pretty” stories demonstrates how decidedly average people can be mortified—if not devastated—by new circumstances. A middle-aged, HIV-positive gay man, deformed by the side effects of protease inhibitors, is savaged by the flippant small talk of canny young men. A fundamentalist Christian housewife thrills from her newfound carnality, only to be saddled with the homeschooling of her four special-needs children. A washed-up but content pop star is pursued by a pair of shrill documentary filmmakers intent on turning the woman’s life into arty tragedy, even if it kills them all. Mordant, brash, hysterically funny yet always compassionate, these stories give voice to characters moved to speak in spite of themselves.

Genres: Short Stories, Gay, Fiction, Canada

152 pages, Paperback

First published April 18, 2011

About the author

Greg Kearney is a Canadian writer. Formerly a humour columnist for Xtra! magazine from 1999 to 2005, he published his debut short story collection, Mommy Daddy Baby in 2004.

Originally from Kenora, Ontario, Kearney is currently based in Toronto, where he studied theatre at York University. He was awarded an Honour of Distinction from the Dayne Ogilvie Prize in 2009.

Kearney’s second short story collection, Pretty, published in 2011, won a ReLit Award in the short fiction category in 2012. His first novel, The Desperates, was published by Cormorant Books in 2013 and was a Lambda and ReLit finalist.

He is currently at work on his second novel, Maynard Keener.

Reviews

[Cynara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was one of my favourites of 2011. Knock-out characters and scenes so strange and hilarious I couldn't help but read them out loud to my partner and whoever else would listen (there is one scene involving a coked-out real estate agent in a car accident that actually made me shriek out loud). Kearney's characters are all misfits, damaged, declining or lost in one way or another but the author handles them with wit and tenderness. His writing style is fast and fresh, and aggressively contemporary. Kearney might be the Canadian answer to George Saunders. This collection had me flashing back to Saunders' CivilWarLand in Bad Decline, which I think might actually be one of the most memorable and startling story collections of its generation.

[Katherine Pederson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the people in the stories to be mean, which overshadowed my reading experience.

[Stephen Altena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Offbeat stories featuring unconventional characters, all trying to find their way in this absurd world.

[Elizabeth JP · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved how varied the characters were within these short stories. Kearney manages to include a lot of character detail within each story

[George Ilsley · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the longer pieces, Cloris for a Day, was my favourite here. Most of the shorter pieces reminded me of Saturday Night Live skits -- there is the set-up of some inherently ridiculous situation, one or two jokes for pay-off, little or no development, and then an ending which just fizzles out.

To summarize the positives: An incisive wit, and a feeling for parody. Unfortunately little development, and thus little engagement with the reader. At least this reader.