The Collector of Names: Stories

by Patrick Hicks

2016 High Plains Book Awards, Short Stories

In his debut short story collection, poet and novelist Patrick Hicks reminds us of one such constant in all our lives—death. In these stories, most of which are set firmly in the heart of the country, the characters, all solid, well-meaning, hardworking people, are beset by tragedies both large and small, natural and unnatural. In the opening piece, “57 Gatwick,” which won the 2012 Glimmer Train Emerging Writer Fiction award, a terrorist bombing of a commercial airliner over the city of Duluth, Minnesota gives the town coroner a new task beyond the collection and identification of victims’ bodies, thus restoring hope to a shattered community. In “Burn Unit,” a lone, misanthropic woman who rescues stray and abused animals, in turn rescues her horribly burned niece from a neglectful family and a life of despair. An unpopular teenage girl discovers a hidden talent in the wake of a devastating storm in “Picasso and the Tornado.” In the “The Lazarus Bomb,” the crew of a B-17 bomber crew flying missions over Germany in WWII is suddenly imbued with the ability to give life rather than rain death. With gentle humor and deft, lyrical prose, this collection demonstrates that, despite these tragedies, unlooked-for miracles do occur.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories, Cozy Mystery

200 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2015

About the author

Patrick Hicks is the author of over ten books, including The Collector of Names, Adoptable, and This London—he also wrote the critically and popularly acclaimed novel, The Commandant of Lubizec, which was published by Steerforth/Random House.

His work has appeared in such journals and magazines as Ploughshares, Glimmer Train, The Missouri Review, The Georgia Review, Prairie Schooner, Alaska Quarterly Review, Salon, Chronicle of Higher Education, Commonweal, Huffington Post, Guernica, The Utne Reader, and many others.

He has been nominated seven times for the Pushcart Prize, he was recently a finalist for the High Plains Book Award, the Dzanc Short Story Competition, the Gival Press Novel Award, and the Steinberg Essay Prize. His poetry has appeared on NPR, The PBSNewsHour, and American Life in Poetry. His first novel held company among only 20 books selected for National Reading Group Month and it was listed as a Top Pick for First Year College Programs. A winner of the Glimmer Train Fiction Award, he is also the recipient of a number of grants and fellowships, including awards from the Bush Artist Foundation, the South Dakota Arts Council, the Loft Literary Center, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. He was recently a finalist for an Emmy and is the radio host of Poetry from Studio 47.

A dual-citizen of Ireland and America, he is the Writer-in-Residence at Augustana University as well as a faculty member at the MFA program at Sierra Nevada College. He has lived in Northern Ireland, England, Germany, and Spain, but has returned to his Midwestern roots. When not writing, he enjoys watching thunderstorms roll across the prairie with his British wife and he is a sucker for playing in the backyard with his son, who was adopted from South Korea.

Reviews

[Ivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

FIRST LINE REVIEW: "A flash went off as he approached the podium, which made him squint and temporarily lose his courage." I immediately fell under the spell of every one of these beautiful, soulful and creative stories. Being good friends of the author had zero impact on how I felt about this collection. (Well, that's likely an exaggeration, but my point is that I would have rated them highly irregardless of who wrote them!) Death is a dominant theme, but not in the darkly mysterious way so often explored. Rather, Hicks explores death with a brilliantly beautiful light...one that asks questions for which there are no answers, probing beyond that light in search of the flash that will either make us lose courage or smile with loving recognition. Thank you, my friend!

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It was a wonderful collection of short stories that made you think about the people the stories were written about. Thank you for writing this book.

[Lynne Fort · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this in a small bookstore on a business trip and picked it up on a whim. I finished it in two days. The stories are emotional, but not soul-crushing, and I identified with a lot of the characters. The only reason this doesn't get five stars is there are two bizarre supernatural stories thrown in here that, in my opinion, don't gell with the rest of the collection. If you enjoy literary fiction and/or short stories, you'll enjoy this.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may be one of the best books I’ve ever read. I’m in awe. The stories are haunting, sad, heart-warming, and uplifting.

Highly recommend. There aren’t enough words to describe how special this book is.

[Heather K · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite authors who happens to be local.

[Sarah-Jayne Briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

(I received this book for free as part of Goodreads First Reads giveaways).

(This review may contain spoilers).

The blurb of this collection of short stories sounded really intriguing, so when I won a copy in a Goodreads giveaway, I was really happy.

I really did enjoy reading this book. It was a really quick, easy read and the stories were really interesting. Although they did all have the same underlying theme, I felt that there was a good variety of stories that all dealt with something that every person experiences.

I did feel drawn into each of these stories and despite them being short stories, I felt that the author did a good job of showing well-rounded characters and interesting storylines.

I think my favourite of the short stories was probably Burn Unit. There was a lot about that that really resonated with me and by the time I reached the end of the story, I had a lump in my throat. I think that short story is one that could have been expanded and it's one I would have liked to see more of the characters. I think it would have been good to see the aftermath of the story.

One of the other stories that particularly spoke to me was the Lazarus Project. Although the narrator of that story didn't reveal too much about himself, I felt that worked with the story and it enabled me to feel more of a part of the world.

The first story was especially difficult to read, I felt. It was something that could happen in reality... probably has happened, though not necessarily on that scale. I felt the author did a good job of showing how a tragedy on that scale could affect so many people... but it was also nice that the story ended on a bit of a more hopeful note.

I felt the final story was good in that it dealt a bit more with memory. It did almost feel like that story should have been the longest, since there was quite a lot that was happening in this.

I felt Cabin #5 showed the effects on war on the people left behind, as well as the soldiers themselves, really well. It was a depressing read, but still really well-written.

In the future, I would look into reading more books by this author. This collection of short stories was really well-written and easy to read.

[Zane · Rating 5 out of 5]

In compliance with FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received this book free through Goodreads First Reads. If you like collections of short stories, then you will find this collection to be top notch. The central theme seems to be human mortality but this reader was left with a sense of awe at the diversity of human characteristics. The author's descriptive language took me places in soul and spirit. In "Burn Unit", the description of what can occur as the result of a loved one being burned is deeply thought provoking. The author noted to this reader that he has "hope [that] these stories connect to resonate in some way." I can only say that they have done that and more! His written words are now a part of who I am and I am grateful for that!

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a powerful collection of stories. Patrick was one of my English professors in college, and I learned so much from him, so to see a finished product of his is like having another semester of classes with him, which I very much enjoyed. The stories, since most of them were serious, made me cry a lot, especially the Gatwick story and the one told from the perspective of an Army wife. The part where the kid puts his wooden leg on the drill table in shop class and drills through his wooden leg was, I feel, the most amusing part of the collection. I am anxious to read Patrick's next writing venture, given how much I enjoyed this collection and also his novel, The Commandant of Lubizec.

[Ron Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a compelling, discerning, and surprising collection of stories that will keep you engaged throughout. I'm still thinking about these stories weeks after reading them. An important contribution. Well done.

[Olimpia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received as a First Reads winner with a note from the author - Thank You for that.
Well written book that is different from other short stories books. It has one theme. Stories will stay with you long after you read them.

[Trina Knittle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodreads win. Will read and review once received.

I'm usually not a short stories kind of person. But this book definitely got my attention. I loved the book. I found myself finishing it within a couple of days. It was well written. A great read that many will enjoy.

[Dan Greeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Hicks delves into detail and craft of a story few authors possess or display. He doesn't paint a picture, he paints a scene and brings it to life!
The grit and formation of his stories spill like paint on a canvas and morph into a visual wonderland!!!

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading these stories was quite an emotional experience. The writing is solid and feels original. The real shining aspect was the emotions evoked though. The reader isn't bludgeoned by any means, but what felt like a delicate touch still hit pretty hard. Really nicely done.