Insurrections: Stories

University Press of Kentucky New Poetry & Prose Series

by Rion Amilcar Scott

A suicidal father looks to an older neighbor -- and the Cookie Monster -- for salvation and sanctuary as his life begins to unravel. A man seeking to save his estranged, drug-addicted brother from the city's underbelly confronts his own mortality. A chess match between a girl and her father turns into a master class about life, self-realization, and pride: "Now hold on little girl.... Chess is like real life. The white pieces go first so they got an advantage over the black pieces."

These are just a few glimpses into the world of the residents of the fictional town of Cross River, Maryland, a largely black settlement founded in 1807 after the only successful slave revolt in the United States. Raw, edgy, and unrelenting yet infused with forgiveness, redemption, and humor, the stories in this collection explore characters suffering the quiet tragedies of everyday life and fighting for survival.

In Insurrections, Rion Amilcar Scott's lyrical prose authentically portrays individuals growing up and growing old in an African American community. Writing with a delivery and dialect that are intense and unapologetically current, Scott presents characters who dare to make their own choices -- choices of kindness or cruelty -- in the depths of darkness and hopelessness. Although Cross River's residents may be halted or deterred in their search for fulfillment, their spirits remain resilient -- always evolving and constantly moving.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Historical Fiction, The United States Of America, Literature, Literary Fiction, Race

208 pages, Paperback

First published August 5, 2016

About the author

Rion Amilcar Scott is the author of the story collection, The World Doesn't Require You (Norton/Liveright, August 2019). His debut story collection, Insurrections (University Press of Kentucky, 2016), was awarded the 2017 PEN/Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction and the 2017 Hillsdale Award from the Fellowship of Southern Writers. His work has been published in journals such as The Kenyon Review, Crab Orchard Review, and The Rumpus, among others. He lives in Annapolis, MD with his wife and two sons.

Reviews

[Reggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cross River is home to the United States' only successful slave rebellion, and from the first story in this collection, Good Times, all the way to the finale, Three Insurrections, you are captivated.

What stood out to me most about this collection is how inventive it was. Scott successfully plays by his own rules (I'm sure he had plenty of fun doing so!). Like many contemporary authors, he chooses to bypass the use of quotation marks when his characters speak, but that is the smallest part of his inventiveness. Stories like "Party Animal: The Strange and Savage Case of a Once Erudite & Eloquent Young Man" use HILARIOUS footnotes that enhance the "study" we read. You even have interviews from a rapper named L'Ouverture that we end up reading in the another hilarious story called "Razor Bumps."

If you are a fan of the TV show Atlanta, then I can easily see you liking this collection for it's dialogue and the way it amplifies the Black experience through its very wide range of topics. Though this collection features protagonists that tend to be men (mostly) and women who are either older or younger than the Earns, Paper Bois, and Darius' of the world.

I look forward to more of you visiting Cross River in 2019, and I see why the PEN/Robert Bingham Prize was awarded to Mr. Scott in 2017. I have high expectations going into his Sophomore collection, The World Doesn't Require You, which is being brought to us by Liveright in August of 2019, and I am confident those expectations will be reached, if not surpassed.

[Ben Loory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Amazing collection. I'd been thinking about reading this for a long time because the cover kept catching my eye, but then last week this won some PEN America award and I was like, oh, the book with the birds?! So I read it. And every story was great! Really complex but fast-moving stories that constantly teeter on the verge of magical realism without ever quite tumbling over. They just bounce and hover there in this weird, highly realistic, semi-allegorical in-between area. Really loved this book. Tense and funny, sometimes frightening, and always charged with an aura of mystery and meaning. Great stuff.

Favorites: "Everyone Lives in a Flood Zone," "202 Checkmates," "Juba," "The Legend of Ezekial Marcus," "Razor Bumps." But really I enjoyed every one.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhere between 3.5 and 4 for this one. This feels like the writing of an author who is very in touch with the community and aware of the dealings of its residents. Even though these stories are fiction, it feels like Rion was telling them for a certain group - like they're their stories. I appreciated the variety of characters, which included quite a few teenage protagonists. I couldn't help but think about Lost In The City while reading this. Very different collection of stories with very similar vibes.

[E Vikander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insurrections is a collection of short stories all set in the town of Cross River, Maryland. I could not relate to any of these stories, but that did not keep me from appreciating the bold writing and character richness. The story of Joan Santi—my favorite in the collection—simply hurt my heart. There is a lot said in these short stories. I’m hoping Scott’s next effort is a novel.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

These stories have a lingering aspect to them. They come back after reading is done whether the reader intends to revisit or not. Well crafted, moving, and intelligent, definitely some nice work.

[Jason Diamond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent stuff. One of my favorite short story collections in a year filled with really fantastic short story collections.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mostly all I can say right now is damn, this is a fine book. I remember Roxane Gay tweeting several years back something to the effect of "Wow, Rion Amilcar Scott can sure write a great short story." I quickly found out for myself that she was right. I've followed his account and his writing for quite some time, but hadn't encountered many of the stories in this collection. This book is full of gems. It's rare for a short story collection to not have at least 2 kind of weak stories compared to the rest, but I'm not sure that's the case. I think every story in this book ranges from good to very great. The standout stories, ones that should be anthologized and taught in classrooms, in the end were: "Everyone Lives in a Flood Zone," "A Friendly Game," "202 Checkmates," "Juba," "Confirmation," "Razor Bumps," and "Three Insurrections." But even the ones I didn't mention are well-worth reading, if not studying.

The thing about Rion's writing is he can do it all. His characters are real. Their stories are real. His ear for dialogue is uncanny. He can write poetic sentences, with the air of arresting effortlessness. He can tell a joke. He can stun you with violence on one turn and elevate you with grace on the next. He can rip your heart out. He can flat out tell a damn story, and the tools in his toolbox are formidable and plentiful.

It doesn't shock me at all that the same day I finish the book, it is shortlisted for the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for outstanding debut book of fiction. I feel like I gained twenty-five grand worth of knowledge and inspiration reading it.

[Shawn Mooney (Shawn Breathes Books)]

Bailed on page 9. The writing— in particular, its therapy-speak dialogue heaviness—in the first story turned me off immediately and utterly. No doubt others might respond more positively to this type of short fiction.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading "Three Insurrections" (the last story in this book) in the Kenyon Review, I knew I had to read the whole collection. Like all strong literary fiction, these stories contain surprising inevitabilities. Unique characters enact unexpected behavior--all portrayed through fresh prose--framed in satisfying and moving narratives.

The characters are skillfully drawn with complexity, grace and humor alongside of brutality and struggle. I particularly like the way so many of souls of Cross River are storytellers themselves. Even though each piece is discrete, almost all depict stories within stories. So that by the end, as a reader, I felt enveloped in (and a part of) a rich oral tradition. Perhaps for that reason, this book's impact was to remind me: stories matter; relationships matter; our words to each other matter.

[Jimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

He has these great set-ups, where the rest of the story just follows, as if he starts his stories with a boulder at the top of a hill, and the rest of the story is almost necessary, you have to watch it roll down the hill. Except sometimes it doesn't exactly go there. He's also really good at voices. Racial, class issues. Injustices abound. I get a sense in some of his stories of this idea of 'there but for the grace of god, go I', in that characters interact with other characters who are in worse shape than them, but mostly because of chance and fate; and that sparks something in them, a kind of reflection that leads to self knowledge.

[Michael B Tager · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing and sad and beautiful and funny. Cross River is such an alive place. Can't wait to read more by Scott.

[Nakia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't regularly enjoy short story collections, but this one made me feel like I've been missing something in my reading this year. Black cultural signifiers, maybe? Whatever the case, it restored a sense of direction in what I plan to read in 2020.

This gets a 3.5 from me. Very much looking forward to The World Doesnt Require You .

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

thoughts coming shortly

[Seymone · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 star

Scott is masterful at creating short series. I enjoyed all of these stories with the exception of 1 or 2. This is a author I will be following.

[Casey Masterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up Insurrections because I was beyond enthralled with Rion Amilcar Scott's story in Out There Screaming. His style is raw and poetic in that story, and this book is no different. Scott is the master at making his stories palpably human. There is such a range of emotions, intricacies, and life in each story that truly enraptures the reader.

I enjoyed all of the stories in this collection, but I will highlight a few of the stand outs:

"A Friendly Game"
This is my personal favorite story in the collection. I really love the before and after of the mother character in this story. And how that contrasted with the boys playing their basketball and their own hierarchical struggles in their group was awesome.

"202 Checkmates"
This story shows a father and daughter bonding over chess over the course of a year. Through these games, we get an insight not only to their lives, but to life itself. It's a fascinating way to tell a story; attaching it specifically to one medium.

"The Legend of Ezekiel Marcus"
I'll be honest. I can't tell you why this story hit me the way it did (of course, like all the stories, the prose and themes were immaculate.) I feel like everyone had a pushover teacher like Mr. Cole, and watching that need to be liked devolve until his eventual downfall was a fascinating journey. And then the kids in the story added a whole other dynamic which was just icing on the cake.

"Party Animal: The Strange and Savage Case of a Once Erudite and Eloquent Young Man"
I love when stories play with form. The usage of the story as an academic article surrounding the case of a man who digressed from a super intelligent boy to a man acting as an animal was fascinating.

I could really go on and on and describe every story with such applause. But that wouldn't be fair to you, reader of this review. You should go visit the town of Cross River for yourself, and see what you can learn.

[Kiersten · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I’ve heard a lot about Rion Amilcar Scott’s other book, The World Doesn’t Require You, I’d never heard of Insurrections. However, while looking at recommendations for short story collections the other day, I saw this book mentioned by a favorite author of mine (Amber Sparks), and immediately checked it out from my local library. I’m so so glad I did, because this collection was excellent.

Typically, I don’t gravitate towards realism or general fiction in short stories, instead preferring to read magical realism (such as Amber Sparks, Ramona Ausubel, Carmen Maria Machado, and Anjali Sachdeva). While Scott’s collection is firmly camped in the former (with the exception of one story in the collection, Everyone Lives in a Flood Zone, which had subtle hints of otherworldliness), I absolutely loved all but one or two stories in the book.

Each of the stories in Insurrections takes place in the same fictional town of Cross River, Maryland, a predominantly black community, but beyond that there’s no significant or noticeable overlap between the characters or stories. That said, each story tackles similar themes of racism, family, trauma, and darkness, with many of the stories ending on a terrifying or heartbreaking note.

Each story in Insurrections was beautifully written, with a writing style which noticeably belongs to Scott (though, aside from his disuse of quotation marks - a not uncommon choice in writing styles and certainly not exclusive to him - I can’t pinpoint what exactly he does differently). Some of my favorites in the book were Everyone Lives in a Flood Zone, 202 Checkmates, The Legend of Ezekiel Marcus, Confirmation, and Razor Bumps.

5/5 stars.

[Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

The World Doesn't Require You was my introduction to Scott's Cross River, MD and the folks who live there -- and I loved it so much, I had to go back in time to see his earlier collection's take on the town. I think being primed for Scott's talent had me more excited than this collection could carry, because although it is a terrific collection in its own right (a few of the stories could go punch for punch with the ones in the latter book), it is also a younger and less-assured book. Worth reading, for sure, particularly for the stories "Good Times", "Party Animal", and "Razor Bumps" (this last is particularly of note for those who enjoyed "Shape-Ups at Delilah's" in The New Yorker a little while back) and for anybody who wants more of Scott's brilliant imagination.

[Luke Hillier · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a strong, sharp collection of stories all based in the fictional town of Cross River, Maryland, a predominantly Black community that emerged through a slave revolt. I found it to be a bit uneven, with the final third of the stories being less striking than what came before, but it's clear that Scott is a skilled writer capable of penning stories that are darkly comedic and unflinchingly emotive, often at the same time. I was particularly struck by the stories told from an adolescent's point of view (or an adult remembering a time from their childhood) –– the voice felt distinctly fresh, honest, and raw in those stories in a way that many writers seem to struggle to capture. Although all the stories take place in the same city and do share a certain ethos, I would have loved more interwoven threads connecting the stories, whether some subtle nods to details from other stories or characters showing up across the collection.

"202 Checkmates," "The Legend of Ezekiel Marcus," and "A Friendly Game" were my top 3 here, all notably focusing on adolescents. Each of them is shaped by an undercurrent of looming dread or disappointment, growing in intensity from story to story in the order I have listed them. Where "202 Checkmates" is mostly sweet and only slightly sad, "A Friendly Game" was absolutely devastating, leaving me with a pit in my stomach by the end as I witnessed young boys torment the tragic figure of Joan Santi. I thought that "Juba" and "Everyone Lives in a Flood Zone" were also strong, and stood out as the two least grounded stories, with the former playing with ideas of urban legend and the latter reading essentially as a magical realist myth. None of the others were necessarily bad, but at times slightly underwhelming (especially compared to these strong stand-outs). Love the cover!

[Steve]

Like Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio, and other great authors who create a town filled with stories, anecdotes and rife in the human condition, Rion Amilcar Scott's Insurrections tells enough stories from within Cross River, MD, for the reader to get a pretty good idea of how the town operates. The first story in the book grabs the reader and won't let go. This is a gritty book and timely as we experience the Black Lives Matter movement and protests.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection started off as intriguing and promising. Scott has an incredible sense of place and people, which he puts into every story. The writing is wonderful. The last couple of stories just didn’t catch my attention the same way most of them did. I struggled to finish the last one and the one before it. There are some real winners in this collection and overall it was a great read.

[Steve Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of stories of the author's raw, dark, depressing community is difficult for me to read. I can't empathize with the stories he has created. I know these problems exist, but never was exposed to them. His writing opens that enough to get a glimpse through a grimy, hazy window. The stories are heart-rending.

This would have been five stars except for the fact it is the second book in a row where the author apparently doesn't have a quote mark key. With the rapid dialog, it was frustrating to try and keep track of who was speaking.

As usual, thanks to our library for a free copy!

[Justin Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first story -- about the pressures of suicide, fatherhood, and Cookie Monster -- is exceptional, as is one on chess. There's a great one in the middle about chess and the difference between laziness and obsession. The rest just didn't land for me -- felt too MFA, and either too neat or not neat enough.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection. It makes me feel Cross River is a real place and Scott is just a reporter.

[Fabian · Rating 1 out of 5]

Completely overrated.

[Viral · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent collection of short stories about the Black experience. I preferred the stories in the later half to the earlier half.

[Chris Pepin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great writing style. Dark, yet emotive, and made you want to keep reading.

[Kaytee Cobb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of these were misses for me, but the big wins were huge. I will be thinking about the characters that Scott created here for a long time.

[Quincy Wheeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scott knows how to write a short story that will stick with you, make you think and linger

[Michael Rhoda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been looking for this short story collection for the last few years after I read The World Does Not Require You, and found it in a far flung library. 4.5 stars rounded up, did not disappoint!

[Nora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haunting