Uke Rivers Delivers

by R.T. Smith

In the best tradition of southern storytelling, Uke Rivers Delivers features raconteurs as beguiling as the tales they tell. These lyrical, darkly humorous monologues portray a range of denizens of the American South desperately trying to come to grips with their inherited pasts. A Confederate reenactor receives a message from the beyond to lay to rest the remains of Stonewall Jackson's horse. A docent at Washington and Lee University's Lee Chapel offers prim instruction on the facts and legends about "the General" with both reverence and irony. The young son of a lewd, alcoholic, self-dubbed evangelist acquires the wits -- and the will -- for survival by protecting the family's sunflower crops. A midget ukulele virtuoso is so surprised by his own eruption into violence that he can attribute it only to genetics. One of Jeff Davis's fellow cross-dressers; the killer of John Wilkes Booth; a Rebel deserter whose superior exacts his pound of flesh -- all these characters and more, through their twisted and torn vernaculars, seek understanding and revival in R. T. Smith's superb collection.

Genres: Short Stories

160 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2006

Reviews

[Geoff Wyss · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite where some of these stories have been published, and despite 3 or 4 pieces worth reading, I can't recommend this collection. Too much of it is cheap local color in a wearingly outmoded vein and overwritten, claustrophobic Southern "lyricism." The worst pieces were, for me, unreadably bad. The prose in these pieces is hyper-conscious of itself in ways that don't at all serve the story.

The few instances of success ("Plinking," "Stop the Rocket," "Razorhead the Axeman," and the title story) are quite good, but these are only 4 stories out of 16; and beyond these four, the collection falls away quickly. If you can get hold of any of these stories without spending the $17, that's the way to go.

A few of the pieces (most notably "Visitation" and "Blaze") peter out in the no-man's-land between vignette and story, almost as if they realize the ground they're working has been repeatedly tread for 60 years or more. "Visitiation" in particular is pointless rewriting of O'Connor's "The Life You Save May Be Your Own" (which the story itself seems to admit with it's peacock in the background), but in this case eviscerated of all social and moral context. With that stuff gone, who cares?

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some truly moving stories in this slim but exciting collection. 'Stop the Rocket', a story about a 7th grader being lured to a dangerous amusement park ride and his father's love, was priceless. And character studies on a wide range of subjects from a professor for whom war re-enactment beckons to the man who killed John Wilkes Booth were told convincingly. This is a writer I am looking forward to picking up again.

[Clifford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some really excellent stories of the rural south, including some prize winners.

[Sal]

just read a short story by this author in the Virginia Quarterly Review and it was excellent, excellent, excellent. So I'm interested in getting ahold of this.

[Joe · Rating 1 out of 5]

I started reading this book but I just can't get into it. I guess you have to be from the deep south to enjoy it.