Goods

by Matthew Baker

On one level, Matthew Baker’s “Goods” is a political story denouncing the obsessive consumerism of American culture. The story’s narrator and his brother believe in collective, ephemeral ownership; they walk through stores pretending to own the things they find on the shelves, then leave those things on the floor as they exit. But to focus on this aspect of “Goods” is to risk overlooking what also makes the story so remarkable: the masterful balance between narrative and lyricism in Baker’s paired-down prose. - Alex McElroy & Allegra Hyde, Editors, Hayden’s Ferry Review

ebook

First published May 3, 2015

About the author

Named one of Variety's "10 Storytellers To Watch," Matthew Baker is the author of the story collections Why Visit America and Hybrid Creatures and the children's novel Key Of X, originally published as If You Find This. Digital experiments include the temporal fiction "Ephemeral," the interlinked novel Untold, the randomized novel Verses, and the intentionally posthumous Afterthought. Born in the Great Lakes region of the United States, the author currently lives in Iceland.

Reviews

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this story because it was assigned to my high school student. I found the short story to be thought provoking, humorous and also a bit concerning. When I keep thinking about a short story and its message, long after I've read it, I consider that short story to be writing at its best. I won't share too much here, because I don't want to spoil the story for the reader. Just note that the story needs to be read several times to find glean of the symbolism and meaning imbedded in the different characters and scenes. It is a challenging read for high school students!

P.S. My son would not let me read any reviews online of the story, because his teacher wouldn't allow the students to read them. After we had both read the story, we came together to share our impressions. I found that we agreed on several themes, but also took away several different messages. Which just means for me, that this story is a great piece of writing.