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ORPHANS
“Cummings's voice howls boldly, bravely, beautifully, wittily, cunningly, mellifluously into the literary wilderness. He guides us effortlessly to see/to be his characters... He accomplishes his sleights of hand with grace and believability and power. I admire him enormously.”
--Caroline Thompson, writer of 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' and 'Edward Scissorhands'.
Set in 1940s Florida, Middle America, Hollywood in the 70s, curious netherspheres between life and death, and deep inside the imaginations of characters whose greatest abundances are their emotions, the ten stories (and smattering of poems) in Cummings's eclectic collection ORPHANS evoke familiar and strange scenarios of love, loss, heartbreak, humor, spirituality, sexuality, and the quelling of violence.
An unhappy housewife mired by the ravages of war fantasizes about killing her own daughter. An unlikely couple in the heart of Americana is brought together by strange sparks of magic trapped in a horoscopes column. The dark but achingly honest confessions of a Hollywood icon's emotionally deranged son cause him to band together with like-minded misfits. A play about a sweet, sickly little boy illuminates a weird world of living, corporeal dolls that gently dance him to his imminent death. And there is more. In this refreshingly unpredictable assortment of short stories, poems, plays, and screenplays, a strong and imaginative new voice in American literature spins a majestic web of people, places, relationships, and situations.
--Caroline Thompson, writer of 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' and 'Edward Scissorhands'.
Set in 1940s Florida, Middle America, Hollywood in the 70s, curious netherspheres between life and death, and deep inside the imaginations of characters whose greatest abundances are their emotions, the ten stories (and smattering of poems) in Cummings's eclectic collection ORPHANS evoke familiar and strange scenarios of love, loss, heartbreak, humor, spirituality, sexuality, and the quelling of violence.
An unhappy housewife mired by the ravages of war fantasizes about killing her own daughter. An unlikely couple in the heart of Americana is brought together by strange sparks of magic trapped in a horoscopes column. The dark but achingly honest confessions of a Hollywood icon's emotionally deranged son cause him to band together with like-minded misfits. A play about a sweet, sickly little boy illuminates a weird world of living, corporeal dolls that gently dance him to his imminent death. And there is more. In this refreshingly unpredictable assortment of short stories, poems, plays, and screenplays, a strong and imaginative new voice in American literature spins a majestic web of people, places, relationships, and situations.
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First published July 11, 2011
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About the author
Tim Cummings
6 books70 followersTim Cummings is the author of the multiple-award-winning coming-of-age novel, Alice the Cat, published by Fitzroy Books. It was chosen as an American Book Awards 'Best Book' Finalist for 2023, received a Bronze Medal in the 2024 Feathered Quill Book Awards, and is a Finalist in both the 2024 National Indies Excellence Awards for Teen Fiction and the Independent Author Network's Book of the Year Awards. His second novel, The Lightning People Play, was published summer 2025.
In addition to his passion for storytelling, Tim is an octopus and spider enthusiast. He goes wild for anything with eight legs. If you have any questions about spiders or octopuses, ask him. He recently discovered he is a masterful hula-hooper and can whirl non-stop for eons. Of course, he loves reading and writing, but he also possesses enviable collections of stickers, Labradorite, night-sky projector lights, vintage vinyl, and rare first-edition hardcover copies of some of his favorite novels. He has a karaoke machine, too—this is serious business. The Language of Birthdays cites his date of birth, January 15th, as 'The Day of Heroic Inevitability'; this tracks because he shares the day with Moliere, Joan of Arc, Martin Luther King, Jr., Captain Beefheart, and Charo. Lastly, no one has ever made a better vat of chili, and his lasagna is infallible.
He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University Los Angeles and a BFA from NYU/Tisch School of the Arts. Since 1984, he has appeared in over 200 projects across theatre, film, television, voice-over, and new media. Recent publications of short fiction, essays, and poetry include F(r)iction, Scare Street, Lunch Ticket, MeowMeow PowPow, From Whispers to Roars, Drunk Monkeys, Hare's Paw, Lit Angels, and Critical Read/RAFT, for which he won the ‘Origins’ contest for his essay, “You Have Changed Me Forever.” He teaches writing for UCLA Extension Writers' Program. timcummings.ink for credits and info.
In addition to his passion for storytelling, Tim is an octopus and spider enthusiast. He goes wild for anything with eight legs. If you have any questions about spiders or octopuses, ask him. He recently discovered he is a masterful hula-hooper and can whirl non-stop for eons. Of course, he loves reading and writing, but he also possesses enviable collections of stickers, Labradorite, night-sky projector lights, vintage vinyl, and rare first-edition hardcover copies of some of his favorite novels. He has a karaoke machine, too—this is serious business. The Language of Birthdays cites his date of birth, January 15th, as 'The Day of Heroic Inevitability'; this tracks because he shares the day with Moliere, Joan of Arc, Martin Luther King, Jr., Captain Beefheart, and Charo. Lastly, no one has ever made a better vat of chili, and his lasagna is infallible.
He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University Los Angeles and a BFA from NYU/Tisch School of the Arts. Since 1984, he has appeared in over 200 projects across theatre, film, television, voice-over, and new media. Recent publications of short fiction, essays, and poetry include F(r)iction, Scare Street, Lunch Ticket, MeowMeow PowPow, From Whispers to Roars, Drunk Monkeys, Hare's Paw, Lit Angels, and Critical Read/RAFT, for which he won the ‘Origins’ contest for his essay, “You Have Changed Me Forever.” He teaches writing for UCLA Extension Writers' Program. timcummings.ink for credits and info.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 16, 2017
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING--
“This is a book that I will read again and again, if only to try and gain more insight into the minds and motivations of the characters.”
“...an extraordinary work...bouncing from short stories, to poems, to film treatments with admirable dexterity, ORPHANS is an absolute treat.”
“...the cumulative experience is so stunningly mind-altering that it feels as though you've been transported to multiple worlds and back, leaving you breathless and panting....”
“...a fantastic introduction to a new literary talent... a wonderful mix of the literary and the macabre. ”
“Cummings is a champion for the lost, lonely and misunderstood....”
“This is a book that I will read again and again, if only to try and gain more insight into the minds and motivations of the characters.”
“...an extraordinary work...bouncing from short stories, to poems, to film treatments with admirable dexterity, ORPHANS is an absolute treat.”
“...the cumulative experience is so stunningly mind-altering that it feels as though you've been transported to multiple worlds and back, leaving you breathless and panting....”
“...a fantastic introduction to a new literary talent... a wonderful mix of the literary and the macabre. ”
“Cummings is a champion for the lost, lonely and misunderstood....”
September 6, 2011
ORPHANS promised a mix of short stories, poems, plays and screen plays with settings ranging from 40s Florida to the limbo between life and death - an eclectic mix that caught my eye. The introduction explains how the collection came into being and hints at a rawness and fragmentary feel. I found the intro fascinating and read on in anticipation.
I enjoyed the short stories, some were shocking, like the one about a mother who wants to kill her child, some touching like A Feast for Famished Guilt but overall they were well-written and entertaining. I'd struggle to pick a favourite as I really liked them all. The poetry and dramatic writing drew more of a mixed response from me. In part I was drawn in and read on rapt, in part I found my attention drifting and struggled to read each and every piece. It has been a very long time since I have read any poetry and I'm not a big fan so I'm probably not the best person to judge. However some of them I liked, some of them I didn't. The same went for the dramatic writing. While I really liked Richard & Gerard and Level Seven, which had similar other-worldly themes, Host was just far too surreal for me. And while I thought the screenplay for The Jocks - vs - The Goths was great it felt a bit too familiar being such a well-trodden path.
The work covers an eclectic mix of topics, some of which may make for uncomfortable reading for those whose are easily offended or dislike the grittier side of life. ORPHANS offers a real variety which is possibly its strength and its weakness. The works are so different I imagine many readers will find gems but also things they dislike. My reaction to the pieces I didn't like was probably stronger than the positive feelings about the pieces I did like, and so my rating is lower than it would have been otherwise. This is definitely something quite different, and variety is the spice of life!
I enjoyed the short stories, some were shocking, like the one about a mother who wants to kill her child, some touching like A Feast for Famished Guilt but overall they were well-written and entertaining. I'd struggle to pick a favourite as I really liked them all. The poetry and dramatic writing drew more of a mixed response from me. In part I was drawn in and read on rapt, in part I found my attention drifting and struggled to read each and every piece. It has been a very long time since I have read any poetry and I'm not a big fan so I'm probably not the best person to judge. However some of them I liked, some of them I didn't. The same went for the dramatic writing. While I really liked Richard & Gerard and Level Seven, which had similar other-worldly themes, Host was just far too surreal for me. And while I thought the screenplay for The Jocks - vs - The Goths was great it felt a bit too familiar being such a well-trodden path.
The work covers an eclectic mix of topics, some of which may make for uncomfortable reading for those whose are easily offended or dislike the grittier side of life. ORPHANS offers a real variety which is possibly its strength and its weakness. The works are so different I imagine many readers will find gems but also things they dislike. My reaction to the pieces I didn't like was probably stronger than the positive feelings about the pieces I did like, and so my rating is lower than it would have been otherwise. This is definitely something quite different, and variety is the spice of life!
September 2, 2011
This is an unbelievably good collection of work. I say work, because they aren't all, strictly speaking, stories. That's part of the greatness of the book. There' s absolutely no way to get bored with this, because if you get tired of stories, there're other things to keep you entertained: poems, plays, screenplays... And the writing is devastatingly good. Jealous-making good. I laughed, I cried, I even scratched my head a couple of times (poetry is hard!). I can't recommend this book enough.
December 14, 2011
I have been reading short stories lately and this is a good collection. I did not necessarily love all the pieces but some of them I really liked a lot and there were way more that I liked than didn't. I enjoyed that it was a mix of styles - some were poems, some short stories, some scripts. I also liked how some of them seemed unfinished - they did not leave me hanging but did leave me wanting more. The characters are so well-developed, which I think is extraordinary for this type of work. I would definitely read more from this author.
Want to read
July 27, 2011from author
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews