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Second Coming
Second Coming is an eclectic collection of short stories about obsession and addiction from Chad Gayle, author of the novel Let It Be.
In the title story, Jesus Christ returns to Earth as a California liberal who becomes smitten with a modern day Mary Magdalene, putting the not-for-profit kingdom that he’s built at risk. In “Candy” and “Learning to Spell,” alcoholism and drug addiction test the mettle of characters who have reached a crossroads in their respective lives; in “Reality Show,” a young man from New Jersey is forced to deal with his selfishness and his sex addiction to help the one woman he might have a future with.
These are stories about sinners and saints whose suffering forces them to look at the world, and themselves, in a whole new way.
In the title story, Jesus Christ returns to Earth as a California liberal who becomes smitten with a modern day Mary Magdalene, putting the not-for-profit kingdom that he’s built at risk. In “Candy” and “Learning to Spell,” alcoholism and drug addiction test the mettle of characters who have reached a crossroads in their respective lives; in “Reality Show,” a young man from New Jersey is forced to deal with his selfishness and his sex addiction to help the one woman he might have a future with.
These are stories about sinners and saints whose suffering forces them to look at the world, and themselves, in a whole new way.
47 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2015
11 people want to read
About the author
Chad Gayle
12 books73 followersChad Gayle is a science fiction and fantasy author who lives in New York.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 5, 2015
"Their lack of experience is their strength," Jesus said.'
New York author Chad Gayle is a Texan by birth and growth time, obtaining his education there - a Masters in English from Texas A&M University - and taught English at Meredith College in North Carolina. Both a writer and a photographer he now lives in New York where he writes for literary journals, trade publications, and newspapers while he continues to practice the art of fine art photography. He is best known by the public for this Beatles-inspired novel LET IT BE.
Chad `lets himself go' in SECOND COMING, mastering that most difficult of all literary media - the short story. Short stories demand much of the author: set an idea before the reader, define it the characters well enough that in a few pages they become wholly recognizable, and spring an ending that creates a payoff - all in a brief time frame.
Chad accomplishes this mesmerizingly well in the five short stories that consume only 47 pages. The lead story LEARNING TO SPELL explores so many aspects of alcohol addiction and parent /child relationships form the vantage of printer Baxter Jackson: `Regardless of what she might say, Janice doesn't know a damn thing about bitterness. Bitterness doesn't spring up out of nothing like a mushroom; it's either got to be built up over time, brick by black brick, or you've got to be infected with it. That's why I don't go out anymore or get chatty with the people I work with. Ben, for example. He thinks he can learn how to do printing since he picked up typesetting without any schooling, so he comes back and stands beside my ink-encrusted machine, asking me about where I used to work or how I got into the business. I wouldn't mind talking about how I wanted to start my own shop and about the letterpress in my living room, but that would only lead to more questions. And curled in the explanations like a snake waiting to strike is the ache that makes my stomach turn. I could show him in an hour how pointless it is to get out of bed in the morning, to shower, to come to work in this shack, but I don't: as much as the chubby little bastard gets on my nerves, he's got a life of his own to live. That's why when I come home, I really am home to stay. There's no point in spreading the virus I'm carrying. I'm doing the community a service.' Even in this short excerpt the pungent toxicity of the writing comes through.
And he can do love stories, such as the very brief and strange EMILY. The flavor of the title story SECOND COMING (of Jesus, yes) is set in the first paragraph: `The bus ran out of gas a hundred miles shy of Los Angeles, and the disciples spent an hour bringing their Dixie cups and Igloos to Jesus, who sat hunched in a folding chair that was tucked between the police escort and the back of the bus, turning the muddy gulch water that they collected into gasoline. When the tank was finally full, the bus came back to life, and Jesus joined the cheering followers at the mouth of the cab, where Sammy, with his usual exuberance, slapped Jesus on the back in a manly way. It was the force of that blow that twisted the weakened Savior around until he was face to face with Brook, who leaned in, at that fateful moment, to kiss his stubble-crossed cheek.' And of course the au courant theme of sex addiction is the polished theme of REALITY SHOW that Chad in a few short pages makes into a film script!
Talent to burn -this Chad Gayle has - and hopefully he'll turn out another novel soon - but also continue to share his mastery at short stories.
New York author Chad Gayle is a Texan by birth and growth time, obtaining his education there - a Masters in English from Texas A&M University - and taught English at Meredith College in North Carolina. Both a writer and a photographer he now lives in New York where he writes for literary journals, trade publications, and newspapers while he continues to practice the art of fine art photography. He is best known by the public for this Beatles-inspired novel LET IT BE.
Chad `lets himself go' in SECOND COMING, mastering that most difficult of all literary media - the short story. Short stories demand much of the author: set an idea before the reader, define it the characters well enough that in a few pages they become wholly recognizable, and spring an ending that creates a payoff - all in a brief time frame.
Chad accomplishes this mesmerizingly well in the five short stories that consume only 47 pages. The lead story LEARNING TO SPELL explores so many aspects of alcohol addiction and parent /child relationships form the vantage of printer Baxter Jackson: `Regardless of what she might say, Janice doesn't know a damn thing about bitterness. Bitterness doesn't spring up out of nothing like a mushroom; it's either got to be built up over time, brick by black brick, or you've got to be infected with it. That's why I don't go out anymore or get chatty with the people I work with. Ben, for example. He thinks he can learn how to do printing since he picked up typesetting without any schooling, so he comes back and stands beside my ink-encrusted machine, asking me about where I used to work or how I got into the business. I wouldn't mind talking about how I wanted to start my own shop and about the letterpress in my living room, but that would only lead to more questions. And curled in the explanations like a snake waiting to strike is the ache that makes my stomach turn. I could show him in an hour how pointless it is to get out of bed in the morning, to shower, to come to work in this shack, but I don't: as much as the chubby little bastard gets on my nerves, he's got a life of his own to live. That's why when I come home, I really am home to stay. There's no point in spreading the virus I'm carrying. I'm doing the community a service.' Even in this short excerpt the pungent toxicity of the writing comes through.
And he can do love stories, such as the very brief and strange EMILY. The flavor of the title story SECOND COMING (of Jesus, yes) is set in the first paragraph: `The bus ran out of gas a hundred miles shy of Los Angeles, and the disciples spent an hour bringing their Dixie cups and Igloos to Jesus, who sat hunched in a folding chair that was tucked between the police escort and the back of the bus, turning the muddy gulch water that they collected into gasoline. When the tank was finally full, the bus came back to life, and Jesus joined the cheering followers at the mouth of the cab, where Sammy, with his usual exuberance, slapped Jesus on the back in a manly way. It was the force of that blow that twisted the weakened Savior around until he was face to face with Brook, who leaned in, at that fateful moment, to kiss his stubble-crossed cheek.' And of course the au courant theme of sex addiction is the polished theme of REALITY SHOW that Chad in a few short pages makes into a film script!
Talent to burn -this Chad Gayle has - and hopefully he'll turn out another novel soon - but also continue to share his mastery at short stories.
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July 22, 2016Second Coming by Chad Gayle is a collection of five atypical short stories. The first, Learning to Spell, is a story of Baxter raised by his dysfunctional Vodka addicted mum, who encouraged him to be on the same stuff from childhood. Although this damaged him to a certain extent, but could not cripple his finer senses altogether. His love for Beethoven for instance. Now if only he could find a way to release his bottled up misery and bitterness, then this could pave a new way to freedom and enlightenment. Similarly, in Second Coming, the metaphor stirred the same spirit of self-imprisonment, which contaminated the soul if emotional and bodily needs could not be unleashed. All 5 stories would keep the reader guessing about the real theme which in the end often turned out off-centered.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews