The Curious Lives of Nonprofit Martyrs

by George Singleton

Celebrated Southern author George Singleton delivers a new collection of short fiction, brilliant and absurd, for fans of George Saunders and Tom Franklin

A restaurant owner runs into trouble when his wife starts a well-intentioned, poorly named rooster rescue. A boy navigates his parents’ split between a stretched phone cord and a flooded septic tank. A drunk sequestered in the middle of nowhere wakes up to find a tractor parked in his driveway. And in a big Cadillac, a grandfather and a grandson and a wayward dog hit the road, searching for a life not downloadable, nor measured in bandwidth.

Loosely linked by characters and themes, The Curious Lives of Nonprofit Martyrs follows shysters and schemers, film buffs and future ornithologists, unlikely do-gooders, and the men who make up Veterans Against Guns in North America, all doing the best they can with what they possess in smarts and cunning. With Singleton’s signature comic flair, these stories peer through the peepholes of small-town South Carolina into the lives of everyday martyrs—prodigal sons, wayward fathers, and all those who are a little of each.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Humor

250 pages, Paperback

Published August 15, 2023

Reviews

[Judy Caldwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's nuts how good this book is. Singleton's latest is *the* best short story collection of the year. At the same time tender, brutal, and weird, The Curious Lives of Nonprofit Martyrs offers close-ups behind the eyes of folks who definitely are NOT musing about life and love while sitting in coffee shops in acceptably-developed cities. Singleton's characters have red clay and RC Cola in their veins. "What A Dime Costs" is the first story out the box and I hate to tell you, if you haven't read it yet, but what's going to happen isn't good --- but we ride along with kid protagonist Julian and his loopy mom because well, once you're in, you're not getting out. The stories that follow will have you locked in for some hot mess escapades and you'll root for and/or wring your hands over losers, dreamers, enablers, and yes, nonprofit martyrs.

Read this book if you like story collections that punch you right in the heart on one page and make you laugh on the next one. Call him the king of grit lit, Dirty South fiction, or however you all like to pigeonhole Southern writers, but George Singleton is better than everyone.

[Lily Mood · Rating 1 out of 5]

no

[Carly Rosenkampff · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.8. This book was so weird lmao

[Leah Tyler]

See full review in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

"What drives people to devote themselves to public service? Author George Singleton focuses his sharp wit and mastery of nuance to explore the privatizations of benevolent workers in “The Curious Lives of Nonprofit Martyrs,” a collection of stories set in small Southern towns. These 17 works of short fiction are related far more by theme than character and deliver a delightful, occasionally disturbing and unapologetically honest exploration of Southern life, while peeking into the unique personalities of those who work for social good..."

https://www.ajc.com/things-to-do/book...

[Constance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outlandish and funny.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's easy to understand how strongly and differently goodreads people react to this collection of stories. Superficially, this is a pretty dark collection, and while it has irritated and even offended some readers, I somehow found it enjoyable and not at all depressing (even though almost all the lives it depicts are bleak). Part of what made these stories work for me is that Singleton is very, very funny. I also thought there was a valid point to his depiction of the social underside of rural Southern life, mostly in South Carolina with a few touches on Asheville, North Carolina. I lived in Tennessee for a number of years and have driven all over South Carolina, so somehow this collection makes me nostalgic. I suspect it works a lot less well for readers with no experience in the regional culture depicted.

For sure, there is not a lot of joy in these stories. I don't think there is a single intact, functional marriage, for instance. Many characters have lost one or both parents, through death or departure. Several characters suffer from addiction to alcohol or drugs. No one seems to have an enjoyable, comfortable life.

So what kept me going here? Mostly it's the weirdly funny unexpected details, like a collection of 7,000 end panels from macaroni boxes, or one of 30 live box turtles. It's bizarre acronyms like VAGINA (Vets Against Guns in North America) on red baseball caps, or PUBES (I can't remember what that stands for). It's sudden encounters with the hidden anti-MAGA underside of rural Southern society. And it's with some (to me anyway) incredibly funny bawdy humor, especially from the mouth of a six year old in "You're Supposed to Be Where You Are."

And there is a tenderness behind all the crazy prose. Singleton cares about his characters and sympathizes with their struggles. They probably are not people one would care to meet, but they are people who absolutely exist in America's South, and are rarely brought to light in fiction.

So if you have a taste for rebellious fiction and are tolerant of things which are not part of your life or moral outlook, this set of stories is both poignant and a lot of fun. Perhaps the book title and cover art set the scene appropriately for what is in the book. I can't wait to read more of Singleton; this was my first experience of his writing.

[October Murilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost every collection of short stories written by a single author suffers the same flaw... when stories which originally saw print in varied magazines and collections over a span of several years are presented one after another within the same book it shines an unforgiving spotlight on the author's every trick and foible. Repetition reverberates and literary crutches become glaringly obvious. As good as the individual stories in this volume are they suffer more severely from this problem than usual. The author blurb on the last page says that Singleton has 'published over two hundred stories in magazines and journals.' Why then, with such a bounty from which to choose, are there two stories in this volume about men kidnapping a younger member of their family to take them to the seashore to look for shark's teeth, eat shrimp, and learn about life? Why are there two stories in a row that feature a bait shop/bar? If it was the same bait shop/bar I'd understand, but I don't think it is? Two different characters in two different stories take off running as if they had launched off starter blocks and everyone works for or supports some sort of nonprofit organization with a humorous acronym. I get that's meant to be a running joke and it's funny, but it would be funnier if it were a little more spaced out. That said, the stories really are amazing. There are several lines throughout that I had to re-read two or three times just because they made me laugh so hard... 'the place his older brother, my randy uncle, Randy, ran' is so much funnier than it has any right to be... and the characters never fail to be believable even at their most unbelievable. I can't bring myself to take off points for presentation, but I think this book would be best read at a pace of no more than one story a month max.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this description of George Singleton that I read in a Bitter Southerner essay by Zackary Vernon:
His stories portray the South as it was and is, celebrating when appropriate, while also critiquing its racism, religiosity, and narrow-minded conservatism. Singleton’s fiction is a call to arms, a black sheep’s instruction manual about how to agitate and ultimately how to make the region better.

My favorite was Standard Hole, but the whole collection was good. I will say that these are better read separately, not all in one big gulp. And what's going on with that cover?

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just could not relate to these stories or their characters. Each story is set near where I live, in the Carolinas, and each story features the working-class white people that I have known and loved all my life, so these should appeal to me greatly.

But the characters do and say things constantly that seem to be chosen nearly at random--this may be Singleton's idea of humor, but much of it is so contrived (like the caps that read "VAGINA" for "Veterans Against Guns In North America") that I just couldn't enjoy it.

From reading this book I learned that I need realistic dialogue that isn't filled with non sequiturs in order to enjoy a short story.

[Christopher Napolitano · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's so much to enjoy in The Curious Lives of Nonprofit Martyrs...the characters, settings, situations and, of course, that trademark Singleton voice. There’s a lot of forward motion in the best of the stories; the anecdotes and themes are wonderful as always; and the great thing is, the endings resonate even when you're left wanting more. To me, the author is in full command of his faculties—on the page, at least.

My favorites, in no particular order:
Cock Rescue
Standard Hole
Dispensers
Echoes
Wild Me

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Singleton is one of my favorites. I love that he needles South Carolinians (lovingly, methinks, but with a sharpened point), and his humor-style almost always cheers me. I liked almost all of these short stories, and you can't say that about most collections. Perhaps I'm biased because I get just about every one of his references (subtle and otherwise).

[Brenda DeMartini- Squires · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took me a long time to finish these stories. I'm not sure why I dragged myself through them. I bought the book because I saw it on a list of the "funniest" contemporary authors. I couldn't disagree more. The characters are wildly unlikable and the plots of the stories tediously repetitive. I was stunned at the list of decent literary magazines these were published in. 🤨

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are not currently a fan of short stories, George Singleton will turn you into one. Quirky, funny, poignant, they are glimpses into the lives of ordinary people. And dogs.
Brings to mind an old potato chip slogan - bet you can’t read just one.

[Liz Banks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is written by a story teller. It is a compilation of short stories told in first person. He is Appalachian and has learned to take a rather tragic situation and make it into a funny story about himself. I resoect that. The last story explalins a lot.

[Melody · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Not a bad short story collection-- all of them loosely tied together in some way. I liked some more than others, and really liked how in several of the stories Singleton played with acronyms.

[Ross Pittman · Rating 3 out of 5]

“You need to spend more time looking forward while driving, Roger, but you need to look in the mirror every once in a while, too. Same with history. Keep looking forward, but glance to see where you’ve been every so often, too.” - Page 180

[endrju]

I haven't read the book, I'm just curios about the illustration on the cover - does anyone know who did it? I don't seem to be able to find any info.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

For my first dive into "Grit Lit", this was really solid! As much as short story collections aren't for me, I actually really enjoyed this!

[Amber Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at page 58. Didn’t really keep my attention and couldn’t connect with the stories

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightfully weird. I always forget how much I enjoy short stories.

[Misty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laughed out loud!

[Corrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

funny and absurd but realistic stories, but not super memorable for me

[Amanda Misiti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very odd, but in a mostly good way.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought these felt more like character studies (and really good ones!) than complete stories. (Read as part of the Mark Twain award long list...)

[Teri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Way too much of a good thing.

[Maddee · Rating 2 out of 5]

had to read for class… it was ok. not a fave. but ok.

[Scott Radway · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure how to star-rate this one. It wasn't that I didn't like it--certain sections were quite amusing. But overall I didn't find the stories to be memorable, and I had trouble staying interested.

[Kelton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every book should take place in the Carolinas

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quirky collection of funny and entertaining short stories about various eccentrics living in the South. Singleton reminds me of Charles Portis and Harry Crews but there is also an element of Donald Barthelme. Having dropped enough literary references for 2 comments I will just say I plan to read more George Singelton in the future.