The Great American Everything

by Scott Gloden

Lauded by Kevin Wilson as “an exceptional collection that introduces us to an exciting new voice,” The Great American Everything orbits the experiences of relationships, be it brother-to-brother, sister-to-sister, patient-to-caregiver. Rendered with tenderness and a keen eye, these ten stories cut into the ways families approach questions of aging, adoption, loss, and class. A young woman hired to provide accompaniment services to an elder confronts the borders of complicity and friendship; two brothers search for details of their recently deceased grandfather in the desert; a college student faces her friend’s abuser during a door-to-door fundraising campaign.

"Scott Gloden’s The Great American Everything is an exceptional collection about loss, the grief that follows, and the stunned way that we seek to find a way forward in a world that feels radically different. Gloden explores these difficult subjects with such tenderness and complexity that he never strikes a false note, never repeats himself. This is an amazing book that introduces us to an exciting new voice." — Kevin Wilson, author of Now is Not the Time to Panic

"You will want to tear through these ten funny, worldly and brilliant stories; they are so in love with everything they encounter. The language these stories give to their events is incredible, grasping so much joie de vivre, but also sudden heartbreak and despair. From the first paragraph the text is in utterly tragic territory, but the reader is invited to see this through the buoyancy of love and of art." —Rebecca Lee, author of Bobcat and Other Stories

"Gloden’s sharp prose is at its sharpest when he turns his eye to place: searching for saguaro (and a grandfather’s ghost) in New Mexico, White Linen Night in New Orleans, seeking environmental reparations door-to-door in the fancy neighborhoods of Memphis. It’s not always summer, but these stories sear, sweat. Gloden earns the title The Great American Everything, a collection I’ll return to again and again." —Mary Miller, author of Biloxi

"Social conscience meets psychological despair in stories that show plenty of literary command." —Kirkus Reviews

"Gloden enlivens the everyday situations with insightful social commentary and memorable voices. As slice-of-life stories go, these stand out." —Publishers Weekly

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction

180 pages, Paperback

First published May 16, 2023

About the author

Scott Gloden lives in philadelphia, on unceded Lenape land. his stories have appeared in American Short Fiction, Glimmer Train, and StoryQuarterly. he has a master’s of public policy from Carnegie Mellon and works on homeless and housing initiatives.

Reviews

[Nick Carbourn · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the strongest debut fiction collections I’ve ever read. All 10 stories in Scort Gloden's book are good, most are great, and a small handful -- like "The Birds of Basra" and "The Paragon of Animals" -- are as quietly impactful as the best work from Amy Hempel, Raymond Carver, or Lorrie Moore. This is certainly a collection I will return to and a caliber of literary fiction I am not using to seeing from the American South. I am very curious to check out other offerings from Hub City Press.

[Andrea Ballenger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably super, cause the writer is cool as hell. I preordered this book and don’t know where it is in the world. So I gotta find it, then I’ll read it and probably call it “super” for real. Also, great cover art.

[Bex Romer · Rating 4 out of 5]

all of these short stories were incredible but the last one made me GASSSSPP

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written stories that stick with you long after you’ve pout the book down.

[Jacob Dunton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tapestry of experiences, beautifully observed.

[Tory · Rating 2 out of 5]

[ARC] didn't do anything for me. Disappointed after KW's glowing rec