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Alligator Stew: More Tales from Delbert, Arkansas
Every year it seems another apocalypse is predicted. Every day we hear of the pending global warming disaster. There was Y2K. The next one was the Mayan 2012. Every preacher on television rants and raves about the end of time and the apocalypse and the second coming of Christ. Preacher Harold Camping went so far as to predict the exact day. After that day came and went, he claimed he had made a mistake and made another prediction. Then he finally admitted he had no clue. No one cared after he missed the second time.
During the summer of 1990, Iben Browning predicted an apocalyptic earthquake would strike the New Madrid Fault on December 3rd, 1990, devastating the heartland from St. Louis to Memphis.
In Delbert, Arkansas, a fictional town along the New Madrid Fault, the people felt other things were more important than an impending apocalypse--like Wink Gaskill's beer permit application for a new local convenience store he was building.
Faydeane Gossett stated the community concerns clearly: "If we allow him to sell beer, next thing you know we'll have crack houses, whorehouses and casinos on every street corner."
In this story collection, the townspeople barrel towards their date with destiny while dealing with infidelity, lust, sexual and domestic abuse, drug addiction, cancer, family histories, bigotry, murder, ambition, sexual preferences, mental illness, loss, failure, religion, mistakes, local gossip, elections and professional wrestling.
Despite Iben Browning's prediction of an apocalyptic earthquake, December 3rd, 1990 came and went without so much as a tremor, and as with all predictions of apocalypse, the town folks breathed a collective sigh of relief and went about returning their generators to Sears for a refund, pouring their cache of gasoline into their trucks and ATV's, eating their Vienna Sausages, Velveeta loaves, and Spam sandwiches, and dumping stored gallons of water on their front yards and winter greens.
They went back to dealing with the every day problems that make a predicted apocalypse seem small in comparison.
Facing a once in a lifetime catastrophic event, the residents of Delbert, Arkansas, prove that the truly apocalyptic events are the ones they face every day.
During the summer of 1990, Iben Browning predicted an apocalyptic earthquake would strike the New Madrid Fault on December 3rd, 1990, devastating the heartland from St. Louis to Memphis.
In Delbert, Arkansas, a fictional town along the New Madrid Fault, the people felt other things were more important than an impending apocalypse--like Wink Gaskill's beer permit application for a new local convenience store he was building.
Faydeane Gossett stated the community concerns clearly: "If we allow him to sell beer, next thing you know we'll have crack houses, whorehouses and casinos on every street corner."
In this story collection, the townspeople barrel towards their date with destiny while dealing with infidelity, lust, sexual and domestic abuse, drug addiction, cancer, family histories, bigotry, murder, ambition, sexual preferences, mental illness, loss, failure, religion, mistakes, local gossip, elections and professional wrestling.
Despite Iben Browning's prediction of an apocalyptic earthquake, December 3rd, 1990 came and went without so much as a tremor, and as with all predictions of apocalypse, the town folks breathed a collective sigh of relief and went about returning their generators to Sears for a refund, pouring their cache of gasoline into their trucks and ATV's, eating their Vienna Sausages, Velveeta loaves, and Spam sandwiches, and dumping stored gallons of water on their front yards and winter greens.
They went back to dealing with the every day problems that make a predicted apocalypse seem small in comparison.
Facing a once in a lifetime catastrophic event, the residents of Delbert, Arkansas, prove that the truly apocalyptic events are the ones they face every day.
- GenresShort Stories
162 pages, Paperback
First published January 30, 2014
10 people want to read
About the author
C.D. Mitchell
5 books15 followers"Alligator Stew"
Southern Yellow Pine Publishing
January, 2014.
Every year it seems another apocalypse is predicted. Every day we hear of the pending global warming disaster. there was Y2K. The next one was the Mayan 2012. Every preacher on television rants and raves about the end of time and the apocalypse and the second coming of Christ. Preacher Harold Camping went so far as to predict the exact day. After that day came and went, he claimed he had made a mistake and made another prediction. Then he finally admitted he had no clue. No one cared after he missed the second time.
During the summer of 1990, Iben Browning predicted an apocalyptic earthquake would strike the New Madrid Fault on December 3rd, 1990, devastating the heartland from St. Louis to Memphis.
In Delbert, Arkansas, a fictional town along the New Madrid Fault, the people felt other things were more important than an impending apocalypse--like Wink Gaskill's beer permit application for a new local convenience store he was building.
Faydeane Gossett stated the community concerns clearly: "If we allow him to sell beer, next thing you know we'll have crack houses, whorehouses and casinos on every street corner."
In this story collection, the townspeople barrel towards their date with destiny while dealing with infidelity, lust, sexual and domestic abuse, drug addiction, cancer, family histories, bigotry, murder, ambition, sexual preferences, mental illness, loss, failure, religion, mistakes, local gossip, elections and professional wrestling.
Despite Iben Browning's prediction of an apocalyptic earthquake, December 3rd, 1990 came and went without so much as a tremor, and as with all predictions of apocalypse, the town folks breathed a collective sigh of relief and went about returning their generators to Sears for a refund, pouring their cache of gasoline into their trucks and ATV's, eating their Vienna Sausages, Velveeta loaves, and Spam sandwiches, and dumping stored gallons of water on their front yards and winter greens.
They went back to dealing with the every day problems that make a predicted apocalypse seem small in comparison.
Facing a once in a lifetime catastrophic event, the residents of Delbert, Arkansas, prove that the truly apocalyptic events are the ones they face every day.
God’s Naked Will: Stories at the Collision of Faith and Sexuality.
Burnt Bridge Press: Due September 15th, 2013.
Many people—preachers especially—flock to church on Sunday mornings where they find it easy to deify themselves while castigating those they feel unworthy of grace. But when religion, spirituality and faith collide with every day life, the pits of doubt, failure, and hypocrisy—like grains of mustard seed—take root and grow, choking out all that is righteous.
The character’s in the stories of God’s Naked Will deal with their yearnings in the context of faith and failure. They reveal they are not deities. Within these pages faith collides with schizophrenia and demon possession, incest and deformity, visions and voices, illness and addictions, nudism and wife-swapping, alternative life-styles and nude weddings, sexual choices and sexual preferences, chastity and perversion, cock-fights and executions, voyeurism and violence, prostitution and evangelism.
The stories in God’s Naked Will make no apologies, respect no persons, and pull no punches as the text explores raw yearnings that erode the base of spirituality, once again proving that Christ did not die in vain—that we all fall short of the glory of God and exist in desperate need of salvation.(less)
Southern Yellow Pine Publishing
January, 2014.
Every year it seems another apocalypse is predicted. Every day we hear of the pending global warming disaster. there was Y2K. The next one was the Mayan 2012. Every preacher on television rants and raves about the end of time and the apocalypse and the second coming of Christ. Preacher Harold Camping went so far as to predict the exact day. After that day came and went, he claimed he had made a mistake and made another prediction. Then he finally admitted he had no clue. No one cared after he missed the second time.
During the summer of 1990, Iben Browning predicted an apocalyptic earthquake would strike the New Madrid Fault on December 3rd, 1990, devastating the heartland from St. Louis to Memphis.
In Delbert, Arkansas, a fictional town along the New Madrid Fault, the people felt other things were more important than an impending apocalypse--like Wink Gaskill's beer permit application for a new local convenience store he was building.
Faydeane Gossett stated the community concerns clearly: "If we allow him to sell beer, next thing you know we'll have crack houses, whorehouses and casinos on every street corner."
In this story collection, the townspeople barrel towards their date with destiny while dealing with infidelity, lust, sexual and domestic abuse, drug addiction, cancer, family histories, bigotry, murder, ambition, sexual preferences, mental illness, loss, failure, religion, mistakes, local gossip, elections and professional wrestling.
Despite Iben Browning's prediction of an apocalyptic earthquake, December 3rd, 1990 came and went without so much as a tremor, and as with all predictions of apocalypse, the town folks breathed a collective sigh of relief and went about returning their generators to Sears for a refund, pouring their cache of gasoline into their trucks and ATV's, eating their Vienna Sausages, Velveeta loaves, and Spam sandwiches, and dumping stored gallons of water on their front yards and winter greens.
They went back to dealing with the every day problems that make a predicted apocalypse seem small in comparison.
Facing a once in a lifetime catastrophic event, the residents of Delbert, Arkansas, prove that the truly apocalyptic events are the ones they face every day.
God’s Naked Will: Stories at the Collision of Faith and Sexuality.
Burnt Bridge Press: Due September 15th, 2013.
Many people—preachers especially—flock to church on Sunday mornings where they find it easy to deify themselves while castigating those they feel unworthy of grace. But when religion, spirituality and faith collide with every day life, the pits of doubt, failure, and hypocrisy—like grains of mustard seed—take root and grow, choking out all that is righteous.
The character’s in the stories of God’s Naked Will deal with their yearnings in the context of faith and failure. They reveal they are not deities. Within these pages faith collides with schizophrenia and demon possession, incest and deformity, visions and voices, illness and addictions, nudism and wife-swapping, alternative life-styles and nude weddings, sexual choices and sexual preferences, chastity and perversion, cock-fights and executions, voyeurism and violence, prostitution and evangelism.
The stories in God’s Naked Will make no apologies, respect no persons, and pull no punches as the text explores raw yearnings that erode the base of spirituality, once again proving that Christ did not die in vain—that we all fall short of the glory of God and exist in desperate need of salvation.(less)
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 5, 2014
I received this book from the author for an honest review.
Based on actual facts the stories within the book are fictional. Each story focused on a specific character but with every story you would meet them again, giving you a better view of every individual. Each character was well developed to make the stories believable.
With the earthquake prediction of Iben Browning on Dec 02, 1990 the citizens of Delbert went on with their lives as if nothing threatened them. Each living life at its own pace, with their own sets of problems not really caring if their world would come to an end.
Twelve stories that gives you a glimpse of their actions and thoughts during that period with no regards to the impending danger. Each man and woman struggling with normal issues and learning how to cope when life send them a curve ball.
From all the characters I liked Jenny's one the most. A single mother with twins, she works as a waitress to provide for them the best she could. Meeting the characters we learn that she has good relationships with them, serving them each day with a smile on her face. A strong woman that lives independently, making her own decisions and is responsible for her own life.
Overall it is good stories that you as reader can relate with and takes you to the heart of the town, and its people. Easy to read and entertaining.
Based on actual facts the stories within the book are fictional. Each story focused on a specific character but with every story you would meet them again, giving you a better view of every individual. Each character was well developed to make the stories believable.
With the earthquake prediction of Iben Browning on Dec 02, 1990 the citizens of Delbert went on with their lives as if nothing threatened them. Each living life at its own pace, with their own sets of problems not really caring if their world would come to an end.
Twelve stories that gives you a glimpse of their actions and thoughts during that period with no regards to the impending danger. Each man and woman struggling with normal issues and learning how to cope when life send them a curve ball.
From all the characters I liked Jenny's one the most. A single mother with twins, she works as a waitress to provide for them the best she could. Meeting the characters we learn that she has good relationships with them, serving them each day with a smile on her face. A strong woman that lives independently, making her own decisions and is responsible for her own life.
Overall it is good stories that you as reader can relate with and takes you to the heart of the town, and its people. Easy to read and entertaining.
January 19, 2014
Reviewing anthologies is often difficult because they bring together writings with diverse themes and styles, even if they are by the same author. The great thing about this anthology is that the eleven stories it contains are organically linked in several ways. First, they are linked by an event which is on the horizon (fore or aft) of each story, namely the earthquake which had been predicted to occur on the New Madrid Fault, on December 3, 1990. The prediction was made by one Iben Browning, who had (we are told) accurately predicted the last big quake on the San Andreas Fault, and the eruption of Mount St Helens. The second link is the town of Delbert, Arkansas, which lies on the fault, and in and around which all the stories take place. The third, and in many ways the most important, link is the cast of characters. Many of the characters appear in several stories, and a character with a walk-on-role in one story may be the main character in another. These last two factors in particular link these stories together in a very satisfactory way.
The great overall strength of the collection is the characterisation. Many of the stories read as character studies, and the characters are beautifully drawn. They are realistic, diverse and believable. It felt good to meet again later a character who appeared in an earlier story, even if the character was not a particularly ‘nice’ person. The realism of the characterisations means that polarities such as ‘good guy/bad guy’ are transcended here. These are real people, warts and all. The nuances of the style of speech of these characters are extremely well done, without excess and without creating caricatures and stereotypes. This is quite an achievement.
In a more general sense, this is a good character study of a town and its people.
The overall writing style was good without being exceptional. While the descriptions of people’s outer and inner lives are good, more could have been done to draw the surroundings for the reader. I would not have objected to the occasional use of imagery and simile. The pace could have been more varied.
I felt that some of the stories were not quite strong enough in themselves. They may have worked well as chapters in a novel, but not as standalone pieces. This was particularly true of ‘The Sheriff of Jester County’, ‘Perception >Reality’ and ‘Flying Lessons’. Although I quite enjoyed the gentle style of some of the stories (for example, ‘Karen’, ‘Ferdinand C. Posey’), the humour of others (especially ‘Goat and Dumplins’) and the violent edge of some (‘Alligator Stew’, ‘The Sheriff of Jester County’), many lacked a clear beginning, middle and end. ‘Flying Lessons’, in particular, did not seem to have a clean ending, which is unfortunate, since it is the final piece. I would have ended the collection with ‘Ferdinand C. Posey’ instead. It would have been nice if some stories had had a sting in the tail. Consider, for example, ‘The Sheriff of Jester County’. As a story I think it would have worked better if what happened to the Sheriff’s daughter had been held back until much closer to the end. I would have liked to have been surprised occasionally. Although I would need to reread the stories and take more detailed notes to be sure, I had the feeling that some of the timelines between the stories were not quite consistent. I had this impression particularly (but not exclusively) with ‘Poverty Line’. I also felt that some of the attempts to link the characters in the different stories were a little contrived.
Although the idea of linking the stories via the earthquake prediction was good, in the end I found this aspect disappointing. In many, if not most, of the stories, this event is only mentioned in passing. It is not really the central theme of any of the stories. It is no more than a date from which to hang them. I would have expected at least one story to have the theme of the earthquake at its centre. Because of this, this linking theme seems contrived. Mention of the earthquake could be excised from many, if not most, of the stories without affecting them at all. I would be less concerned about this if the ‘Introduction’ had not made it seem as though this prediction was the central theme of these stories. It wasn’t.
As always with a collection of stories, it is difficult to give a rating. My favourite here was ‘Ferdinand C. Posey’. My least favourite was ‘Poverty Line’. I would rate individual stories from 3 to 4.5 stars. Overall, definite pluses go to the author for the interweaving of the stories via character and place, and the study of the town of Delbert itself. Overall I would give the collection 3.5 stars, but it is worth rounding up to 4 for those classification systems that don’t permit half stars.
[Note: I was provided with a final draft in MS Word of this book in exchange for an honest review.]
The great overall strength of the collection is the characterisation. Many of the stories read as character studies, and the characters are beautifully drawn. They are realistic, diverse and believable. It felt good to meet again later a character who appeared in an earlier story, even if the character was not a particularly ‘nice’ person. The realism of the characterisations means that polarities such as ‘good guy/bad guy’ are transcended here. These are real people, warts and all. The nuances of the style of speech of these characters are extremely well done, without excess and without creating caricatures and stereotypes. This is quite an achievement.
In a more general sense, this is a good character study of a town and its people.
The overall writing style was good without being exceptional. While the descriptions of people’s outer and inner lives are good, more could have been done to draw the surroundings for the reader. I would not have objected to the occasional use of imagery and simile. The pace could have been more varied.
I felt that some of the stories were not quite strong enough in themselves. They may have worked well as chapters in a novel, but not as standalone pieces. This was particularly true of ‘The Sheriff of Jester County’, ‘Perception >Reality’ and ‘Flying Lessons’. Although I quite enjoyed the gentle style of some of the stories (for example, ‘Karen’, ‘Ferdinand C. Posey’), the humour of others (especially ‘Goat and Dumplins’) and the violent edge of some (‘Alligator Stew’, ‘The Sheriff of Jester County’), many lacked a clear beginning, middle and end. ‘Flying Lessons’, in particular, did not seem to have a clean ending, which is unfortunate, since it is the final piece. I would have ended the collection with ‘Ferdinand C. Posey’ instead. It would have been nice if some stories had had a sting in the tail. Consider, for example, ‘The Sheriff of Jester County’. As a story I think it would have worked better if what happened to the Sheriff’s daughter had been held back until much closer to the end. I would have liked to have been surprised occasionally. Although I would need to reread the stories and take more detailed notes to be sure, I had the feeling that some of the timelines between the stories were not quite consistent. I had this impression particularly (but not exclusively) with ‘Poverty Line’. I also felt that some of the attempts to link the characters in the different stories were a little contrived.
Although the idea of linking the stories via the earthquake prediction was good, in the end I found this aspect disappointing. In many, if not most, of the stories, this event is only mentioned in passing. It is not really the central theme of any of the stories. It is no more than a date from which to hang them. I would have expected at least one story to have the theme of the earthquake at its centre. Because of this, this linking theme seems contrived. Mention of the earthquake could be excised from many, if not most, of the stories without affecting them at all. I would be less concerned about this if the ‘Introduction’ had not made it seem as though this prediction was the central theme of these stories. It wasn’t.
As always with a collection of stories, it is difficult to give a rating. My favourite here was ‘Ferdinand C. Posey’. My least favourite was ‘Poverty Line’. I would rate individual stories from 3 to 4.5 stars. Overall, definite pluses go to the author for the interweaving of the stories via character and place, and the study of the town of Delbert itself. Overall I would give the collection 3.5 stars, but it is worth rounding up to 4 for those classification systems that don’t permit half stars.
[Note: I was provided with a final draft in MS Word of this book in exchange for an honest review.]
February 5, 2014
There are writers and there are storytellers and then there are writers who are also storytellers. C. D. Mitchell is a writer who is also a storyteller and that made reading "Alligator Stew" a very pleasant experience for me.
I suspect that there will be some folks who won't like his book because he doesn't always play by the rules you learn while earning an MFA. That's okay with me because instead of writing in a classic style he does something better: He reminds me of the days I spent listening to my grandfather and his cronies standing around before supper telling stories about people they knew who had, for one reason or another, suddenly become "interesting." That was always the key word in those long ago days while I was growing up in East Haven, Connecticut: If you heard the word "interesting" then you knew you were in for a good story and C. D. has some interesting folks to write about. There is, for example, the sheriff who accidentally kills his daughter with a defective handgun, a single mom with precocious twin daughters trying to make ends meet as a waitress and a wronged woman who sells her ex-husband's stuff at a yard sale. My granddad and his friends knew those kinds of people and I never tired of hearing them talk about those friends and neighbors who had done something to make them interesting enough to be the subject of a story. Like them, C.D. doesn't make value judgments about the people he's writing about. He just tells their stories and lets his readers draw their own conclusions about the men, women and children who call Delbert, Arkansas home. I appreciate that, frankly, because there are too many authors who insist on telling me how I should feel about a character. I hope to read some more about these folks in Delbert. I'm kind of wondering what they'll get up to next.
I suspect that there will be some folks who won't like his book because he doesn't always play by the rules you learn while earning an MFA. That's okay with me because instead of writing in a classic style he does something better: He reminds me of the days I spent listening to my grandfather and his cronies standing around before supper telling stories about people they knew who had, for one reason or another, suddenly become "interesting." That was always the key word in those long ago days while I was growing up in East Haven, Connecticut: If you heard the word "interesting" then you knew you were in for a good story and C. D. has some interesting folks to write about. There is, for example, the sheriff who accidentally kills his daughter with a defective handgun, a single mom with precocious twin daughters trying to make ends meet as a waitress and a wronged woman who sells her ex-husband's stuff at a yard sale. My granddad and his friends knew those kinds of people and I never tired of hearing them talk about those friends and neighbors who had done something to make them interesting enough to be the subject of a story. Like them, C.D. doesn't make value judgments about the people he's writing about. He just tells their stories and lets his readers draw their own conclusions about the men, women and children who call Delbert, Arkansas home. I appreciate that, frankly, because there are too many authors who insist on telling me how I should feel about a character. I hope to read some more about these folks in Delbert. I'm kind of wondering what they'll get up to next.
August 27, 2015
I really liked the series of short stories. they all end up coming together r with one another in the end somehow.
they remind you of sitting around listening to the old true stories your parents told you about back in the day. very fun stories.
I think the author is exceptional. tells a very good story and keeps them flowing nicely.
I'd have to say I highly recommend this.
you'll love reading it and it's not a moment you'll stop and not want to pick it back up.
n poo first I need to give my apologies to the author for not reviewing this along time ago.
it kinda slipped past me . I do that sometimes. with files especially that don't end with a rate it a t the end. so sorry.
I.was given this book for a honest review and I honestly loved it.
they remind you of sitting around listening to the old true stories your parents told you about back in the day. very fun stories.
I think the author is exceptional. tells a very good story and keeps them flowing nicely.
I'd have to say I highly recommend this.
you'll love reading it and it's not a moment you'll stop and not want to pick it back up.
n poo first I need to give my apologies to the author for not reviewing this along time ago.
it kinda slipped past me . I do that sometimes. with files especially that don't end with a rate it a t the end. so sorry.
I.was given this book for a honest review and I honestly loved it.
January 20, 2014
I enjoyed reading CD's short story collection. His characters, while flawed, endeared themselves to you during each story. I am a fellow Arkansan, so it was fun to be able to recognize the places about which he wrote. Arkansans, and all Southerners, will enjoy reading the book.
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December 19, 2017Customer Review
This is a cross section of characters all living in the same town and all talking about the potential earthquake that has been predicted. They all have stories to tell, so I get that the book was presented as 11 individual stories told from each main character's POV.
Told in this way, many of the characters float in and out if each other's stories, but had it been a novel, it might have a nightmare to write or keep straight as a reader.
It is an interesting way of presentation and just like any novel you may read, you will like some characters better than others. The most vivid for me was how a body is disposed of in a swamp. Got to love it.
You will like this book.
This is a cross section of characters all living in the same town and all talking about the potential earthquake that has been predicted. They all have stories to tell, so I get that the book was presented as 11 individual stories told from each main character's POV.
Told in this way, many of the characters float in and out if each other's stories, but had it been a novel, it might have a nightmare to write or keep straight as a reader.
It is an interesting way of presentation and just like any novel you may read, you will like some characters better than others. The most vivid for me was how a body is disposed of in a swamp. Got to love it.
You will like this book.
March 9, 2014
Alligator stew is a heartfelt and honest portrayal of small town life where everyone knows your business! The townsfolk are quirky to say the least and full of flaws, but at makes them all the more real and endearing. Many of the lives within the stories intertwine and the author does a fantastic job weaving their tale slowly but surely throughout his collection in such a way you really never know what is coming up,next. Will the small town of Delbert, Arkansas be rocked by an earthquake or will it deteriorate by allowing a bar to sell beer in the city limits? Each main character faces choices that will determine the shape and direction of the rest of their life. You will enjoy every moment reading Alligator Stew! Looking forward to the continuing story of my favorite characters in the upcoming novel!
March 1, 2014
C.D. Mitchell has unearthed many stories of touching human connections. From a heartbreaking story of a father's grief to one of adultery with a back country woman who only has one tooth - gold platted and inscribed with her name, Alligator Stew is rich with details. Setting descriptions like, "...cheap exterior paint that peeled every few years and left many of the homes looking like they needed a haircut rather than a paint job," bring the deep swampy south alive. This collection of secrets, death, quilt, TV watching goats, and cheating spouses is worth a read.
April 4, 2014
C.D. Mitchell knows how to work "dirty realism" subject matter with new and interesting twists that move his work beyond mere imitation of this style into new, while at the same time classic, literary territory.
See the full review at www.thenewsoutherngentleman.com - link at my author's page. Thanks for stopping by!
See the full review at www.thenewsoutherngentleman.com - link at my author's page. Thanks for stopping by!
December 28, 2014
C.D. Mitchell's short stories in Alligator Stew are intertwined together in a masterful way. His flawed, interesting characters who call Delbert, Arkansas home are captivating and well-developed. Every sentence lures you into Mitchell’s storytelling. His imagery and use of detail is brilliant. C.D. Mitchell is the next great Southern storyteller.
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