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Tell Everyone I Said Hi
The world of Tell Everyone I Said Hi is geographically small but far from provincial in its portrayal of emotionally complicated lives. With all the heartbreaking earnestness of a Wilco song, these eighteen stories by Chad Simpson roam the small-town playgrounds, blue-collar neighborhoods, and rural highways of Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky to find people who’ve lost someone or something they love and have not yet found ways to move forward.
Simpson’s remarkable voice masterfully moves between male and female and adolescent and adult characters. He embraces their helplessness and shares their sad, strange, and sometimes creepy slices of life with grace, humor, and mounds of empathy. In “Peloma,” a steelworker grapples with his preteen daughter’s feeble suicide attempts while the aftermath of his wife’s death and the politics of factory life vie to hem him in. The narrator of “Fostering” struggles to determine the ramifications of his foster child’s past now that he and his wife are expecting their first biological child. In just two pages, “Let x ” negotiates the yearnings and regrets of childhood through mathematical variables and the summertime interactions of two fifth-graders.
Poignant, fresh, and convincing, these are stories of women who smell of hairspray and beer and of landscapers who worry about their livers, of flooded basements and loud trucks, of bad exes and horrible jobs, of people who remain loyal to sports teams that always lose. Displaced by circumstances both in and out of their control, the characters who populate Tell Everyone I Said Hi are lost in their own surroundings, thwarted by misguided aspirations and long-buried disappointments, but fully open to the possibility that they will again find their way.
Simpson’s remarkable voice masterfully moves between male and female and adolescent and adult characters. He embraces their helplessness and shares their sad, strange, and sometimes creepy slices of life with grace, humor, and mounds of empathy. In “Peloma,” a steelworker grapples with his preteen daughter’s feeble suicide attempts while the aftermath of his wife’s death and the politics of factory life vie to hem him in. The narrator of “Fostering” struggles to determine the ramifications of his foster child’s past now that he and his wife are expecting their first biological child. In just two pages, “Let x ” negotiates the yearnings and regrets of childhood through mathematical variables and the summertime interactions of two fifth-graders.
Poignant, fresh, and convincing, these are stories of women who smell of hairspray and beer and of landscapers who worry about their livers, of flooded basements and loud trucks, of bad exes and horrible jobs, of people who remain loyal to sports teams that always lose. Displaced by circumstances both in and out of their control, the characters who populate Tell Everyone I Said Hi are lost in their own surroundings, thwarted by misguided aspirations and long-buried disappointments, but fully open to the possibility that they will again find their way.
152 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2012
3 people are currently reading
363 people want to read
About the author
Chad Simpson
5 books28 followersChad Simpson is the winner of the 2012 John Simmons Short Fiction Award. His short story collection, "Tell Everyone I Said Hi," is forthcoming from the University of Iowa Press in October 2012.
Chad was raised in Monmouth, Illinois, and Logansport, Indiana. His stories and essays have appeared in "McSweeney's Quarterly," "The Sun," "Esquire," "Barrelhouse," "American Short Fiction," and many other print and online publications. He also is the author of a chapbook of short fiction, "Phantoms," published by Origami Zoo Press in 2010. A recipient of an Illinois Arts Council fellowship in prose, he teaches at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, where he received the Philip Green Wright/Lombard College Prize for Distinguished Teaching in 2010. He lives in Monmouth, Illinois, with his wife, Jane.
Chad was raised in Monmouth, Illinois, and Logansport, Indiana. His stories and essays have appeared in "McSweeney's Quarterly," "The Sun," "Esquire," "Barrelhouse," "American Short Fiction," and many other print and online publications. He also is the author of a chapbook of short fiction, "Phantoms," published by Origami Zoo Press in 2010. A recipient of an Illinois Arts Council fellowship in prose, he teaches at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, where he received the Philip Green Wright/Lombard College Prize for Distinguished Teaching in 2010. He lives in Monmouth, Illinois, with his wife, Jane.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
December 3, 2012
I haven't actually read this. I mean, I wrote it, and I've been reading from it lately to some groups of people, so I have held the thing in my hands, and I have to say: It's a lovely object. All of the words seem to be spelled correctly. The pages are in the right order. It's a short book, but it's absolutely filled with stories.
November 3, 2012
Another strong John Simmons Award-winning collection. The collection is a mix of flash fiction and "standard" length stories, and Simpson shows his chops in both forms. The book might suffer from a few too many shorts, however, because readers may not spend quite enough time on each story. And, with a collection of 18 stories, a few are bound to fall flat for some readers.
I admire the way Simpson doesn't shy away from what some might consider sentimentality. He skirts the edges, certainly, but it takes guts to let his stories go where they do. The key is, though, that the sentiment or emotions are never forced, and I never once felt manipulated as a reader.
Favorite stories: "Miracle," "Let x," "Tell Everyone I Said Hi," "House Calls," and "The First Night Game at Wrigley."
Simpson is certainly a writer to watch. I look forward to what he does next.
I admire the way Simpson doesn't shy away from what some might consider sentimentality. He skirts the edges, certainly, but it takes guts to let his stories go where they do. The key is, though, that the sentiment or emotions are never forced, and I never once felt manipulated as a reader.
Favorite stories: "Miracle," "Let x," "Tell Everyone I Said Hi," "House Calls," and "The First Night Game at Wrigley."
Simpson is certainly a writer to watch. I look forward to what he does next.
November 15, 2012
I love how Chad Simpson writes about women and their feet/shoes and baseball and desire and sadness. I also love that he writes about Kentucky so often. His characters feel like people we all could know. And I love how he ends his stories. I LOVE THE ENDINGS SO MUCH. I really love "Tell Everyone I Said Hi" and "American Bulldog" and "Housecalls." "Housecalls" brings tears to my eyes. I still remember how I felt the v. first time I read the ending. I reallyreally love "The First Night Game At Wrigley." And just, all of them. Chad's writing is both simple and special and I love how he writes about kitchens and evenings. I'm so glad he writes things down b/c that means we're lucky enough to get to read them!
September 2, 2013
There are some truly wonderful stories in this collection. I was particularly drawn to the two that centered on Peloma and her father. Their story is one filled with all the lost moments in between what should be said and what could never be put into words. What I love the most about the titled selection is Simpson's ability to trust the reader. Lonnie is a walking tragedy, and while he has the ability to see past the faces of others, he refuses to stare into that mirror. The scene at the bar, speaks volumes of Lonnie's complexities. In "American bulldog", again, Simpson trusts the reader to recognize the realities and complexities of life, love and loss. I would love to have spent more time with Anna, and Lonnie, and Peloma.
Because Simpson does an amazing job with fully realizing his main characters as well as secondary characters - and in some instances, blurring the lines between whose story is really being told - I wanted more from "Fourteen". I did appreciate the structure - the use of lowercase to infer immaturity and/or innocence. However, the relationship between the sisters fell a little flat - unlike the relationship between siblings in "You Would've Counted Yourself Lucky", where Simpson illustrates beautifully the loss of innocence.
All-in-all, this was a really good read, and I look forward to reading more from Simpson.
Because Simpson does an amazing job with fully realizing his main characters as well as secondary characters - and in some instances, blurring the lines between whose story is really being told - I wanted more from "Fourteen". I did appreciate the structure - the use of lowercase to infer immaturity and/or innocence. However, the relationship between the sisters fell a little flat - unlike the relationship between siblings in "You Would've Counted Yourself Lucky", where Simpson illustrates beautifully the loss of innocence.
All-in-all, this was a really good read, and I look forward to reading more from Simpson.
October 3, 2012
This collection is just tremendously good. From the first startling story to the last, with that amazing final paragraph, this book is a stunner. I very much love and appreciate that there are flash length stories included in the mix because Simpson is so adept at the shorter form. A beautiful collection and one to be studied.
June 25, 2013
A very satisfying collection of stories in the dirty realism register this may as well be a linked collection (though it's not) of stories about being working class in the Upper Midwest. There are lots of pretty short stories here, a page or two, and then a handful of longer stories, and even two stories with recurring characters, dealing with a widowed dad and his daughter that maybe will someday be seen as Simpson's Saul and Patsy.
I like what Simpson does in the very short stories, because maybe it's the space requirement, but he does seem very focused on elevating the moment he selects, to make something more of it or at least to come at it from an oblique angle. Some of the longer stories, and here I'd pick the books final story, about driving lessons, kind of don't do much as stories, even when I think they are emotionally insightful-- they don't push hard enough to redefine the characters relationships or our relationship with them. I might even say the same about the title story, which is sad and revealing, but not a whole lot more than that.
I did think that the story "American Bulldog" didn't quite work for me-- it felt false in a way none of the other stories here did. But I liked this collection a lot-- I read the chapbook some of these stories appeared in and thought it was decent but not distinctive-- but this collection makes me think more of Simpson as a writer, and I think it's a stronger book for that.
I like what Simpson does in the very short stories, because maybe it's the space requirement, but he does seem very focused on elevating the moment he selects, to make something more of it or at least to come at it from an oblique angle. Some of the longer stories, and here I'd pick the books final story, about driving lessons, kind of don't do much as stories, even when I think they are emotionally insightful-- they don't push hard enough to redefine the characters relationships or our relationship with them. I might even say the same about the title story, which is sad and revealing, but not a whole lot more than that.
I did think that the story "American Bulldog" didn't quite work for me-- it felt false in a way none of the other stories here did. But I liked this collection a lot-- I read the chapbook some of these stories appeared in and thought it was decent but not distinctive-- but this collection makes me think more of Simpson as a writer, and I think it's a stronger book for that.
December 28, 2012
Chad Simpson, "Tell Everyone I Said Hi", University of Iowa Press, ISBN-13: 978-1-60938-126-4, ISBN 1-60938-126-2
Upon receiving this novel from the University of Iowa Press, I dove right in. From the cover -which is simple and holds one's attention because the cover photo looks like the building on the other side of town that you used to pass every day going to school - to the ending page, my attention was captured with his pen.
Simpson's 'Tell Everyone I said Hi,' is a book that you can read over and over. His stories are more than poignant pieces of prose, they are infectious - if such a word can describe writing.
You feel as if you are there, that perhaps Simpson read a part of your journal or heard the conversation between you and your friend. Or maybe Simpson is your friend - telling stories of the neighborhood in which you grew up.
Tell Everyone I said Hi is about real life.
And that makes for good reading.
Upon receiving this novel from the University of Iowa Press, I dove right in. From the cover -which is simple and holds one's attention because the cover photo looks like the building on the other side of town that you used to pass every day going to school - to the ending page, my attention was captured with his pen.
Simpson's 'Tell Everyone I said Hi,' is a book that you can read over and over. His stories are more than poignant pieces of prose, they are infectious - if such a word can describe writing.
You feel as if you are there, that perhaps Simpson read a part of your journal or heard the conversation between you and your friend. Or maybe Simpson is your friend - telling stories of the neighborhood in which you grew up.
Tell Everyone I said Hi is about real life.
And that makes for good reading.
May 20, 2013
Tell Everyone I Said Hi by Chad Simpson is an excellent book. The book had settings that where places that I had lived as a child. The stories of the characters could have been my neighbors or friends or family. It was a delight to read. The stories are quick reads that leave you with the feeling that you have just talked to someone and they told you what happened yesterday. I received a book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
December 6, 2012
Stasis is everything in these stories. Characters wish to remain, wish to hold on to the way things are even as they know this is impossible. It's fulfilling to reach the end of a collection and have a theme echoed and amplified throughout so that it has reached a peak by the end. The title piece is the highlight of a solidly built set of stories.
January 23, 2013
This was an interesting read. This was a collection of short stories about people with emotionally complicated lives. It was easy to be drawn into their fractured lives.
As each story ended you were anxious to get on to the next. The author has a lot of insight into life's problems.
As each story ended you were anxious to get on to the next. The author has a lot of insight into life's problems.
April 9, 2015
Review here.
November 23, 2016
Each story is different from the last, yet they add up to share a great glimpse of a raw and lovely part of the country. I loved the author's willingness to experiment with style as well.
September 16, 2019
Tell Everyone I Said Hi is an excellent short story collection that tells of average folks in the Midwest with a welcome compassion. The eighteen stories give us windows into the lives of men and women young and old who are struggling and doing the best they can, some with better results than others. Standouts were:
Peloma/Consent: These two stories were about teen Peloma and her widowed father and the bittersweet way in which they were coping with their new normal. The father struggled with his new role but was very loving and well-meaning as he worked to help Peloma during a crisis.
Fostering: A sad story of a foster family that meant well, but when circumstances change that could endanger a new baby, their foster son will need to move on yet again.
Housecalls: A very short story that brought a father's pain into focus and you wondered about his back story and what the future would hold for this man who was fighting valiantly to break bad habits.
The First Night at Wrigley: A lawyer reminisces about his past relationship with his dysfunctional college girlfriend. I disliked her, so I was pleased with the ending.
Potential: A young baseball player on the cusp of a life-changing decision yearns for the consistency of the past.
Estate Sales: A son-in-law catches his father-in-law in a lie, but lets it slide as to give him space.
I have read other short story anthologies about hurting people in small-town America, such as Crimes in Southern Indiana, American Salvage and Mothers, Tell Your Daughters but this was the most hopeful of the bunch. I will definitely be on the lookout for more work from this author.
Peloma/Consent: These two stories were about teen Peloma and her widowed father and the bittersweet way in which they were coping with their new normal. The father struggled with his new role but was very loving and well-meaning as he worked to help Peloma during a crisis.
Fostering: A sad story of a foster family that meant well, but when circumstances change that could endanger a new baby, their foster son will need to move on yet again.
Housecalls: A very short story that brought a father's pain into focus and you wondered about his back story and what the future would hold for this man who was fighting valiantly to break bad habits.
The First Night at Wrigley: A lawyer reminisces about his past relationship with his dysfunctional college girlfriend. I disliked her, so I was pleased with the ending.
Potential: A young baseball player on the cusp of a life-changing decision yearns for the consistency of the past.
Estate Sales: A son-in-law catches his father-in-law in a lie, but lets it slide as to give him space.
I have read other short story anthologies about hurting people in small-town America, such as Crimes in Southern Indiana, American Salvage and Mothers, Tell Your Daughters but this was the most hopeful of the bunch. I will definitely be on the lookout for more work from this author.
April 16, 2023
14/50
In 2023 I am going to dust off and read fifty books from my to-read list.
Eight years after deciding to read this, I read it. I think the delay had something to do with needing to purchase a copy, but that can’t explain all of it. And I have no memory of why I selected this collection - though I suspect something to do with McSweeney’s.
The book itself is the very definition of uneven but in the best possible sense. There are some blah stories, ones that don’t hit where they should, but then there’s an all-too-brief flash of genius like “Let x” or a deeply powerful examination of a relationship with an inscrutable child in “Fostering”.
Fantastic work and I’ll look for more of Simpson in the future. If more ever appears.
In 2023 I am going to dust off and read fifty books from my to-read list.
Eight years after deciding to read this, I read it. I think the delay had something to do with needing to purchase a copy, but that can’t explain all of it. And I have no memory of why I selected this collection - though I suspect something to do with McSweeney’s.
The book itself is the very definition of uneven but in the best possible sense. There are some blah stories, ones that don’t hit where they should, but then there’s an all-too-brief flash of genius like “Let x” or a deeply powerful examination of a relationship with an inscrutable child in “Fostering”.
Fantastic work and I’ll look for more of Simpson in the future. If more ever appears.
March 19, 2023
I'm from the midwest and these stories resonated with me. I wonder what he's up to now.
December 3, 2025
Favorites: You Would've Counted Yourself Lucky, Fostering, Peloma, Fourteen, Tell Everyone I Said Hi, Glass, The First Night Game at Wrigley, Consent
February 1, 2016
This is one of the best short stories collections I've ever read. The story fit so well together and each one made an impact. Fostering was probably my favorite in the collection. Read it you won't be disappointed!
February 7, 2013
Read all the stories in one day. Really good, solid literary fiction.
March 29, 2013
I liked the author's style of writing, but didn't care much for the content of these short stories. Is everyone in the Midwest depressed/repressed?
February 19, 2014
A book of quiet resolve and tiny epics. It felt a lot like going back to a hometown I haven't seen in a while.
November 24, 2014
"let x" "fourteen" "the first night game at Wrigley" "potential" "consent"
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews