The Hook and the Haymaker

by Jared Yates Sexton

In the follow-up to his critically lauded debut AN End to All Things, Jared Yates Sexton presents twenty-three new stories that pick up where his first book left off. Whether they're set in a sweat-saturated sparring ring, the backroom of a gas station speakeasy, or in the kitchen of a house down the street, these are glimpses into and America that too-often goes unseen. Witness here the untold tales of the losers and the should've-beens, the dreamers and the hustlers, all of them just spoiling for their turn at glory or the inevitable one-two punch that puts them down for good.

194 pages, Paperback

First published January 15, 2015

About the author

Jared Yates Sexton is a born-and-bred Hoosier living and working in The South as an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Georgia Southern University. His work has appeared in publications around the world and his first short story collection, An End To All Things, is available from Atticus Books. His latest book, The Hook and The Haymaker, was released by Split Lip Press in January 2015. For more information and a select list of publications, please visit the author's website at www.jysexton.com. For more information on Split Lip Press, please visit www.splitlippress.com.

Reviews

[Chris - Quarter Press Editor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a solid follow-up to Sexton's last collection. In many ways, it almost feels like a continuation.

For me, though, this collection is even better. As the title implies, these stories punch harder, have more bit and humor, and feel even more complete and unique in their telling.

As with the last collection, Sexton has a knack for boiling down huge emotions and events into distilled stories that dance around those undoings. It's always the aftermath that these characters are dealing with, rarely anything in the current moment. But, honestly, that's what makes these so resonant; they feel truer to life because we all have life-changing events that make for great dinner party or four-drinks-into-the-night stories, but it's living with the "after."

These aren't "uplifting" reads, by any means, but they do make you take pause and reflect, and--at least for me--those are the much better reads, anyway.

[Chris Tarry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here's the review I posted over at Amazon: This is a great story collection by a very talented writer. The standout story for me was Outlaws, Sexton nails the voice and setting in so many perfect ways, the opening line is simple and quite wonderful: "FAYE AND ME were really up a creek." The longer stories worked a bit better for me than the shorter ones, mainly because the characters felt like they had a little more space to breathe, to connect. But overall this is one strong collection, a fierce writerly voice that deserves a wide audience.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I was asked to read an advance copy to provide a blurb, but am a Jared Yates Sexton super-fan. Here's part of what I had to say (which says it all, really):

The Hook and the Haymaker is explosive, slicing through us like a literary scythe. His characters traipse through darkness with only the faintest hope of light on the other side, and Sexton leads them—and us—through it all with deft precision.

[Caleb Michael Sarvis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Sexton's voice, and a sit-com sort of feel he pairs with real human hurt, but as a book, I started to fall asleep halfway through. I would cut 30% of the collection next time.

[Split Lip Press · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blurbed by Robert James Russell and Leesa Cross-Smith, the stories of "The Hook and the Haymaker" take readers everywhere from a sweat-saturated sparring ring to the backroom of a gas station speakeasy. These glimpses of an America that too-often goes unseen will fit perfectly on your shelf beside other Sexton titles, such as "I Am the Oil of the Engine of the World," "The Man They Wanted Me to Be," and "The People Are Going to Rise Like the Waters Upon Your Shore."

[Al Kratz · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite collections in a while. I reviewed it here:
http://alt-current.blogspot.com/2015/...

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each story is a set a knuckles that you didn't expect, that you didn't know you want. Everything feels good after a while.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gritty stories that pack a punch.

[Leesa]

LOVED IT, BLURBED IT: "Jared Yates Sexton lays down a strong confident hand in The Hook and The Haymaker. He is a writer most excellent at details, both huge and tiny – the monstrous wildfires and infinitesimal sparks that warm a life, a relationship, a heart. These stories are sturdy and meaty with smoky ribbons – a substantial collection on which to feast and fill. Delicious.”