Human Resources: Stories

by Josh Goldfaden

The characters of these irreverent stories work at widely varying occupations, both prosaic and absurd. Hilarious and lonely, they are often aimless but surrounded by passionate devotees of everything from decluttering to good old-fashioned piracy. Humorous, energetic, and inventive, the stories in Josh Goldfaden’s debut collection are laugh-out-loud funny. Goldfaden’s genius is in pushing the limits of absurdity without sacrificing the emotional core of his characters or their stories. A nanny works for a traveling writers colony (his charge is named Camus). A pirate saves up for his own restaurant. A litter specialist tackles the overstuffed homes―and psyches―of the rich. As zany as they come, Goldfaden’s characters seek purpose and community and, every now and again, they find it.

Genres: Short Stories

225 pages, Paperback

First published March 7, 2007

About the author

Josh Goldfaden's short stories have appeared in Meridian, Mid-American Review, New England Review, Salmagundi, the Sewanee Review, Washington Square, ZYZZYVA, and others. His first book, a short story collection, Human Resources, was published by Tin House Books in April 2007. It was shortlisted for the 2007 Story Prize, and awarded the 2008 Devil's Kitchen Prose Award. Publisher's Weekly awarded this book one of its Starred Reviews, noting that, "Admirably, Goldfaden roams widely and erratically, from surfers living on an exclusive beachfront to a bizarre set of contemporary pirates who give up robbing yachts to join a pirate-busting agency. Goldfaden is an undeniable talent."

A recipient of a 2008 Civitella Ranieri Fellowship, his short story, "Disorder Destroyers," was the Editor's Choice for the Mid American Review's 2006 Sherwood Anderson Award, and his story "Nautical Intervention" was optioned for film by the actress, Bebe Neuwirth. In 2008, Josh completed the screenplay adaptation of this story for GreeneStreet Films. His story "Looking at Animals" was awarded the 2007 Lytle Fiction Prize from the nation's oldest literary journal, The Sewanee Review, and a short film based on that story is currently in production with Big Beach Films, the producers of Little Miss Sunshine. Josh is currently finishing up a novel.

Formerly a Jenny Craig stock-boy, a ceiling fan salesman, a car parker in Bavaria, a pizza-maker in Swabia, a waiter, and an instructor in NYU's Expository Writing program, Josh Goldfaden currently operates the web site design/management company, WebAha!, with his wife, the poet Jennifer Chapis. He lives in Oceanside, California.

Reviews

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this Josh Goldfaden is one sexy bitch. Best book ever! I'm pretty straight, but I'd suck his balls.

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished the final story in this collection. The stories are smart, funny and really insightful.

Having gone to Grad School with the writer, I was predisposed to like this book, but I was pleasantly surprised to learn how much his writing has grown. He was always a funny writer, but he has balanced that with wisdom and amazing insight into human nature.

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short story collections are usually not my thing, but I've been trying to branch out a bit, so I picked this up from the library. There are 8 stories in the book, of which I really liked 2, appreciated 2 and really didn't quite get the rest. He seems completely opposed to closure in his stories, which I have to admit I find a bit annoying.

However, the 2 I liked, I really liked. The second story, "Documentary," is about a relationship between a filmaker who is recording births for the last ten days of the year at a NYC hospital and her boyfriend, an artist who has recently found success with his paintings of animals having sex with people while other animals or people watch. A bit strange, but nice insights into the behavior of men and women in the delivery room, the artistic scene, and why anniversaries should be celebrated. "You set time aside so the two of you could put to words what three years had meant, because if you didn't, you could forget to see; you could miss signficance if you never found the right words to name it. It could get to where nothing had any weight, where love was merely a penis placed into a vagina, and bucking hips."

And yes, the words penis and vagina appear just about as much as the typical romance novel. Probably a trend in short story writing I'm unaware of...

[Mark Thompkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the best books of short stories I've read in a very long time. In fact, it's one of the best books I've read in a long time. I love short stories, but so many short story collections seem to have a couple of really good stories, and then a whole bunc of duds. Josh Goldfaden's book, Human Resources, was such an odd and wonderful collection from the beginning to the end. There were 8 stories in the book and each of them was entirely different. However, while some were completely hilarious and others were really sad, every story was exceptionally strong. I also loved how odd the characters and the settings were. For instance, there was a story about a National Geographic photographer who watches his neighbors, a story about modern pirates, one about a company that clears the clutter from rich people's houses, a story about phone psychics, one about a surfer/painter in a surreal Southern Californian town. Just a really amazing, emotional, and hilarious book. I'm looking very forward to reading more from Josh Goldfaden. Also I found his web site in case anyone is interested.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have no choice but to feel humble in the presence of the King of the Ferns. Truly. This story collection is magical and absurd and touching in an Aimee Bender-esque sort of way. The pirate chef breaks my heart a little with how much he cares for his ingredients, a lovely juxtaposition to their means of acquisition. There are so many surprising and wonderful details in these stories that feel new and sometimes bordering on the bizarre, yet also ring true on some core level despite their stranger elements. These stories seek out and find humanity in the inhuman, sometimes literally.

Goldfaden's prose is clean, and he walks the fine line of introducing surreal elements into an otherwise realistic world with confidence. This collection was a very enjoyable read, and one I expect I'll return to more than once.

[Christine Palau · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Imagine lifting your collie into a trash bag." It’s worth quoting out of context here just to demonstrate how such a simple line can be so messed up yet powerful. But when you read it within the context of "King of the Ferns," it only becomes more disturbing, and somehow exemplifies—at least for this reader—just how viscerally affecting these stories are. KOTF was my favorite in this collection. With its various points of view, self-awareness, and a sprinkle of the absurd, it made me cringe, gasp, and laugh out loud.

My other favorites were "Top of the List" and "Maryville, CA , Pop. 7." The former was a fun ride, albeit mildly depressing. The latter made me gasp for air, get all teary, yet come out of it hopeful. “Documentary” was likewise awesome even though it gave me an anxiety attack.

[Karen Germain · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found Josh Goldfaden’s collection of short stories “Human Resources” to be a bit hit and miss. He has a knack for writing about very quirky characters placed in unusual circumstances. He also likes to write from unique perspectives, like a house fern. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it just didn’t.

My favorite pieces in the collection were – “Documentary”, “Disorder Destroyers” and “Maryville, California, pop 7”. With other stories in the collection, I often found my mind drifting due to disinterest or flat out in confusion. The last story in the collection, “Nautical Intervention” did both to me. The story droned on forever and I never felt like I had a good idea of all of the characters. It had a great premise, but fell flat.

Goldfaden has a lot of style and great ideas. I like him as a writer, even if some of the stories fell short.

[Nic · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been slowly noodling through this rather odd collection. I met Josh, the author, at a bookfair at City College and had heard him read at the Tin House Conference in 2007. (They published his book.) It is a quirky set of very original stories, and so far my favorites are "The Veronese Circle" which sends up pretensious, self-indulgent literary types, and "King of the Ferns" a startlingly fresh, funny, poignant story of a disintegrating family told from four points of view. I think it is the strongest in the collection so far, though "Disorder Destroyers" is a close second.

It is a bit in the absurdist vein of some of George Saunder's work which, like Josh's, doesn't always connect me emotionally. Yet is inspiring for its inventiveness.

[Brigitte Williamson]

Yesterday I would have given it 2/5--not all of the shorts are quite equal in power or charm--but the unassuming, anticlimactactic endings I actually enjoyed and as a whole it leaves a pleasant aftertaste. Not as tacky as the cover makes it seem, but only slightly less ridiculous. Absurd people doing absurd things for reasons that are a little too simple, although one or two seem to realize this themselves. Favorites are the bitter waitress/actress staking it out in the wrong city, and the filmmaker looking for something to say in her documentary about birth.
Mostly I love it for the sake of its author, the kindest, funniest, and best professor I've ever had.

[Benzj · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories written by one of my friends from college. SO GOOD!! He has a sense of humor I've always loved and it certainly comes out in his writing. Very tragic, demented characters that you can't help but feel sorry for and on some level can even relate to. His book is published by a publshing company right here in Portland. He is working on a novel as well....can't wait for it!!

[Aurora · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't usually read a book of short stories as fast as I read this one. There's something about the voice that's sort of addictive, even though it's different from story to story. Each story has a great combination of lightness, humor and moments where the emotions just land... Really impressive.

[Samantha Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the best book of stories I've read in a long time. It was so funny and so unique. There were just crazy stories here about modern pirates, and phone psychics, and pretentious writers, but in addition to making me laugh out loud, the stories were really moving as well. I just loved this book. Definitely read it!

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting anthology of short stories by this author. I saw Josh read his book a couple years ago in Oceanside, he made the excerpts come alive with his voice.

I still think about the one story where the houseplant wants to take over the household....

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick and light read. I'm not a huge fan of short story books, but there were a couple in here that I really liked. I'm not sure who wrote the description for the book, but I definitely did not find it "laugh-out-loud funny." It's quirky, subtle humor.

[kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun short stories-one included the persepective of a fern as well as the dog, so it had fun surprising twists and insights.

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting stories, although not consistent.

[mari jaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

josh goldfaden puts just the right amount of blueberries in his smoothies and his slender wrists are great cover for a mean tennis serve...oh, and the book is good, too.

[Colin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pleasant collection of interesting short stories.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I may be a little biased, since this was written by my friend, Josh. But I loved it! Bitingly funny and so original.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ecletic and well structured.

[Jennifer Chapis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is brilliant, hysterical, emotional, all around well-crafted. A must must read.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best collection of short stories I've read in a while! Goldfaden has, with one book, become a new favorite author.

[Hisham]

Human Resources: Stories