48 Blitz

by Brett Biebel

Set along the 455 Nebraska miles of Interstate 80, the 48 stories in Brett Biebel’s debut collection, 48 Blitz, introduce characters who search for roadkill, play high school football, drink on rooftops, and strive to find purpose amid the cornfields and humidity of the Great Plains. Whether it’s the politician on a bowling alley tour, the local loudmouth, or the Husker diehard slated for execution, the people who make up this collection struggle with the legacy of the American frontier, its sometimes empty promises, and often stubborn beauty. By turns experimental and character-driven, 48 Blitz goes inside the heads of characters not often seen in literary fiction, inviting readers to immerse themselves within, rather than fly over, the wide-open Midwestern prairie.

Genres: Short Stories

156 pages, Paperback

Published November 6, 2020

Reviews

[Caleb Tankersley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm the Managing Editor of Split/Lip Press, so I'm clearly biased. BUT, we wouldn't have chosen to publish this book if we didn't love it. When you read 48 Blitz, I know you'll love it too.

[Claudia Putnam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly I'm not a huge fan of flash. So much of our lives goes by so quickly. I really like deep immersive writing, even in short stories. But this works because the whole collection is such an immersion. Really a great job.

[James Figy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This crushing short story collection spanning Nebraska’s I-80 corridor carries traces of Anderson’s Winesburg, Ohio, and Vonnegut’s Rosewater County, Indiana, but in dazzling, fast-paced prose that rivals the best flash writers out there (Fish, Gray, Jodzio, et al.). The narrators are often retelling someone else’s story, caching a collective myth (about a dog being taken by a hawk, for example, or a death row inmate and his love of a local fast food chain) inside a personal anecdote, marketing memo, or insurance company’s explanation of benefits, like some sort of Husker Decameron.

And good god, the use of parentheses throughout (to recreate digressions (that happen frequently when telling someone else (out loud, of course, and usually in person) a story)) is fantastic. Maybe the best quote to sum it up comes later in the (4th quarter of the) book, in “Shit from Shimerda”: “...if the state had a collective consciousness, what it would have thought is this. That, whatever happens, this has been a blast (and maybe worth the boiling rage (pretty much exactly) half of us will feel when it’s all said and done)...”

[Jack Bartkey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book full of short stories. I loved these stories from a place that people often refer to as the flyover states specifically this is set in Nebraska. These stories are so welcome in this fast-paced world. I savored these short stories reading a few stories every day to draw out my enjoyment of this wonderful book. Hghly recommended!

[Luke Dylan Ramsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A-/A

Honestly, I enjoyed this a lot more than I was expecting to. The book’s summary didn’t necessarily appeal to me but I read it anyways, and I’m happy I did so.

I do have some experience with living in the Midwest, small towns, football, academia, and fast food, and those experiences really complimented my reading of this book. The book is funny and somewhat perverse at times, sometimes meta and sometimes emotional and deep. I recognized the characters; some reminded me of people I know, or used to know.

Really enjoyed this one. I’m now looking forward to Winter Dance Party and Brett’s forthcoming book.

[Allison Renner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I run the Split/Lip Press Instagram.

Check out Brett reading one of these stories (“Warriors”) on his book’s Split/Lip Press page: https://www.splitlippress.com/48-blitz

That story exemplifies what you get from his flash fiction collection. Insights into the lives and minds of people you might not think twice about—as the back cover copy says, the book is “inviting readers to immerse themselves within, rather than fly over, the wide-open Midwestern prairie.”

Some of my favorite stories include:

- “The Messenger,” which features a politician holding rallies at bowling alleys
- “Message to the Grassroots,” which is about a fast food company trying to figure out how to spin the unfortunate death of one of their customers
- “Dear Abbey,” an ode to young love and moving on
- “Capacities of Self-Abuse: An Ethno- Porno-Graphic Immersion,” which is about, yes, masturbation and the study of
- “Kansas City Blues,” which is an evening with a newlywed couple already facing stress

And ALL the stories about Mulberry’s: their unique marketing approach, possibly offensive commercials, and just the subtle mentions in many stories.

I love how Brett’s collection has 48 distinct stories, but you’ll read a name and think, “Wait…” and flip back a few stories to see the character mentioned in passing. It’s an immersive way of storytelling that truly feels like you’re among these people, hearing stories from people who know each other.

[Split Lip Press · Rating 5 out of 5]

By turns experimental and character-driven, "48 Blitz" goes inside the heads of characters not often seen in literary fiction, inviting readers to immerse themselves within, rather than fly over, the wide-open Midwestern prairie.

Blurbed by Kathy Fish, Sarah Freligh, Timothy Schaffert, and Aaron Burch, these forty-eight stories wrestle fearlessly with the legacy of the American frontier. Reviewer Cole Meyer summed it up perfectly for The Masters Review: "This collection is a love letter to the people who often feel overlooked, to the flyover states, the places where everyone’s just passing through to get to somewhere else."