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Staggerwing: Stories by Alice Kaltman
This irresistible collection of stories brilliantly skewers the close-to-rich and not-so-famous of 21st century America. With keen yet kind perspective, Kaltman revels in the triumphs and travails of misfit trophy wives, psychic hotel maids, jilted bridegrooms, showtune-singing security guards, and assorted other oddballs. Always balancing her sharp eye with a soft heart, Kaltman ensures that this collection isn't just funny, but memorable and lovable as well.
- GenresShort Stories
250 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 14, 2016
4 people are currently reading
253 people want to read
About the author
Alice Kaltman
9 books43 followersAs a young girl Alice longed to be a mermaid. Her idol sat demurely on the Chicken of the Sea tuna fish cans. She peeled labels off to save her image. Every night before bedtime Alice squeezed both legs in to one side of her pajama bottoms and shuffled around the house pretending she was as beautiful as the tuna fish mermaid.
Real mermaid-hood proved elusive, so Alice became a modern dancer instead. For over twenty years she worked with brilliant choreographers and performed in amazing places. And while she’s still paid to do the occasional pirouette, Alice also works as a Parenting Coach/Writer helping out moms and dads, and talking to kids also, about their (often annoying) parents.
But Alice is most at home when upside down and underwater. She’s been swimming her entire life, and surfing for the better part of adulthood. It’s no surprise that Wavehouse her forthcoming novel from Fitzroy Books is about a surfer. And maybe it is a bit about Alice, too.
Alice also writes fiction for adults. Her story collection Staggerwing is filled with oddballs and odd events. Her work appears in numerous journals including Hobart, Whiskey Paper, Joyland, and BULL: Men’s Fiction, and in the anthologies The Pleasure You Suffer and On Montauk. Most recently her story ‘Maid Service’ was selected as a semi-finalist for Best Small Fictions of 2017.
Alice splits her time between Brooklyn and Montauk, New York where she lives with her husband and daughter. She now wears her pajamas regular style.
Real mermaid-hood proved elusive, so Alice became a modern dancer instead. For over twenty years she worked with brilliant choreographers and performed in amazing places. And while she’s still paid to do the occasional pirouette, Alice also works as a Parenting Coach/Writer helping out moms and dads, and talking to kids also, about their (often annoying) parents.
But Alice is most at home when upside down and underwater. She’s been swimming her entire life, and surfing for the better part of adulthood. It’s no surprise that Wavehouse her forthcoming novel from Fitzroy Books is about a surfer. And maybe it is a bit about Alice, too.
Alice also writes fiction for adults. Her story collection Staggerwing is filled with oddballs and odd events. Her work appears in numerous journals including Hobart, Whiskey Paper, Joyland, and BULL: Men’s Fiction, and in the anthologies The Pleasure You Suffer and On Montauk. Most recently her story ‘Maid Service’ was selected as a semi-finalist for Best Small Fictions of 2017.
Alice splits her time between Brooklyn and Montauk, New York where she lives with her husband and daughter. She now wears her pajamas regular style.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
October 11, 2016
Blurbed, with pleasure:
"I needed a goddamn purpose," kicks off the crackling debut collection by Alice Kaltman. Her characters, united in their desire for that elusive something, take to the existential (if misguided) hunt with adept and incisive Kaltman leading the way. What they find and what they discover about themselves -- be it in a dank basement or a honeymoon suite, the heart of organic Brooklyn or retirement Florida, on a snowy suburban expressway or a swimming hole in the woods -- is often hilarious and always full of heart. Kaltman is a pro at holding contemporary culture up to a fun house mirror. The staggering result is STAGGERWING: eleven irresistible stories that are equal parts witty, quirky, keenly observed, and absolutely bursting with life.
"I needed a goddamn purpose," kicks off the crackling debut collection by Alice Kaltman. Her characters, united in their desire for that elusive something, take to the existential (if misguided) hunt with adept and incisive Kaltman leading the way. What they find and what they discover about themselves -- be it in a dank basement or a honeymoon suite, the heart of organic Brooklyn or retirement Florida, on a snowy suburban expressway or a swimming hole in the woods -- is often hilarious and always full of heart. Kaltman is a pro at holding contemporary culture up to a fun house mirror. The staggering result is STAGGERWING: eleven irresistible stories that are equal parts witty, quirky, keenly observed, and absolutely bursting with life.
August 26, 2024
Family friend!
October 15, 2016
Staggerwing is an excellent collection by a wonderful writer. Many of Kaltman’s protagonists in these eleven stories are in mid-life or beyond, stuck in lives that have never quite become fulfilled, trying to reinvent themselves or even find their true direction for the first time. In “Stay A While,” a career housewife converts her basement into a rental and begins living vicariously through other people’s belongings; in “A Melody,” a middle-aged man seeks to redeem himself as a heroic security guard at a condo complex after going bankrupt; in the title story, “Staggerwing,” an unhappily married man travels to Japan to oversee the installation of the American biplane at a museum, and becomes convinced he and a young Japanese woman have fallen in love. Kaltman has a knack for creating entertaining, curmudgeonly characters, who say things like: “Whatevs? You sound like a twelve-year-old girl who adores boy bands. A tween who actually wants to start menstruating.” As funny as these stories and characters can be, though, there are many tender and poignant moments in this collection. “Strangers in Paradise” was a standout for me, an incredibly powerful story, about a widow who escapes to a beach getaway with her late husband’s ashes in her pocket. Kaltman writes: “And so Helen spreads John’s ashes all over her skin, rubs clumps in her hair, daps bits in between her breasts, and behind her ears like perfume. She crunches on bits of bone as if they are stale candies. Smudges of ash decorate her face like war paint. Eventually John will absorb through her skin. He’ll find his way to her bloodstream, and become a permanent part of her.” For all of Kaltman’s characters, finding peace is a case of better late than never. As she ends the collection: “I’m hollering…I’m ready. Can you hear me?”
May 28, 2017
I was fortunate to win a copy of this wonderful book in a Good Reads giveaway.
I usually read nonfiction, primarily serious subjects, and was looking for something a little different to break up the monotony. This collection perfectly fit that bill.
These short stories are very well written and perfect for those who, like me, like to read before bed. While they might not be all rosy and uplifting, the characters and stories are very relatable and realistic.
I would recommend this book and look forward to future works by the author.
I usually read nonfiction, primarily serious subjects, and was looking for something a little different to break up the monotony. This collection perfectly fit that bill.
These short stories are very well written and perfect for those who, like me, like to read before bed. While they might not be all rosy and uplifting, the characters and stories are very relatable and realistic.
I would recommend this book and look forward to future works by the author.
February 6, 2017
Must read this! Why? I'll tell you: For the incredible variety of voices from a range of settings that come from this singular author's pen. Alice Kaltman presents a cast of characters (often quirky, always relatable) and stories that carry you along for an exciting ride. There's plenty of humor, but also a depth of feeling that stays with you, even after you've closed the book on the last page.
April 28, 2017
Enjoyed reading this book!!!! Loved these stories!!!! Each one is different!!!! Life is beautiful and funny at the same time. So very glad that I won this book and had the opportunity to read this!!!!!!
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October 12, 2016Terrific stories.
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April 26, 2021I could say that these stories feel like real life, and authentic, and if that's not too cheesy, I will.
November 19, 2016
I'm writing a review of this for Alternating Current.
October 21, 2016
Take quirky characters in intriguing-yet-everyday modern settings, slightly warp the expected and add some delightful twists, and you have the absorbing, enjoyable, relationship-focused stories of Staggerwing.
As a mother of young children, I particularly connected with the story "Bigfoot," in which the mom who has it all struggles to fit in with the it-moms at the play area, trendy in their parenting and personal imperfections.
I also especially enjoyed the structure of the story "The Honeymoon Suite" and the oddity of "Blossoms" where a wayward nature hike lands a group of summer camp girls onto a 1960s hippie commune for an exceptionally awkward afternoon. "Freedom" was a fun read where we learn about a newly divorced middle aged man as he attacks a steep Vermont hill on his brand new road cycle.
In all the stories, I appreciated how the tone of Kaltman’s stories somehow remained upbeat even as topics and situations veered into somber territory. Her humor is natural and subtle, and as much as they are thought-provoking, the stories of Staggerwing are also smile-provoking. Highly recommend!
As a mother of young children, I particularly connected with the story "Bigfoot," in which the mom who has it all struggles to fit in with the it-moms at the play area, trendy in their parenting and personal imperfections.
I also especially enjoyed the structure of the story "The Honeymoon Suite" and the oddity of "Blossoms" where a wayward nature hike lands a group of summer camp girls onto a 1960s hippie commune for an exceptionally awkward afternoon. "Freedom" was a fun read where we learn about a newly divorced middle aged man as he attacks a steep Vermont hill on his brand new road cycle.
In all the stories, I appreciated how the tone of Kaltman’s stories somehow remained upbeat even as topics and situations veered into somber territory. Her humor is natural and subtle, and as much as they are thought-provoking, the stories of Staggerwing are also smile-provoking. Highly recommend!
May 7, 2017
An enjoyable story collection though one that doesn't set the world on fire, in my opinion.
The title story and "Tossed" both felt a cut above the rest (and probably would have gotten a four star rating from me but the rest of the collection didn't always hit for me. They are technically proficient and some (bigfoot, I would say) are interesting. Some, though, feel a little like (well-done) writing exercises more than full fledged stories.
The title story and "Tossed" both felt a cut above the rest (and probably would have gotten a four star rating from me but the rest of the collection didn't always hit for me. They are technically proficient and some (bigfoot, I would say) are interesting. Some, though, feel a little like (well-done) writing exercises more than full fledged stories.
May 20, 2023
I tried to like this book, which I picked up at a thrift store since the cover was cute and the reviews seemed good, but am sad that it was a waste of time. The stories are very meaningless and shallow. Some stories had decent build up but every one of them have disappointing endings that leave me thinking “okaaay.. that’s it?” Plot is just so mundane. I don’t see a clear point and found this book quite boring.
April 19, 2018
I've read several of these stories in literary magazines before they became part of this collection, and on second reading they were all just as wonderful. Kaltman's writing is juicy, with fun visceral descriptions, and characters involved in plots that keep you from ever putting a story down before you've finished it. I gulped this one down.
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April 26, 2020Read Alex Reece Abbott's full review at: https://theshortstory.co.uk/the-short...
February 18, 2017
This was a very nice short story collection. The characters were very real - there was no gentling, no smoothing, no "let's speak nice please" here. They were rough around the edges and the stories all rang true.
My favorite story was the title story - Staggerwing. The situation was familiar, yet unusual, and the grip on my heart was strong. Read it.
The only reason why I didn't give this five stars was that some of the stories didn't feel quite as polished to me. There were some awkward sentences, some misspellings, some way-off grammar. Some endings didn't feel earned, but rather chopped off.
But I still looked forward to sitting down and reading this book. The imagination is fresh, the stories both poignant and clever. Definitely worth the read.
My favorite story was the title story - Staggerwing. The situation was familiar, yet unusual, and the grip on my heart was strong. Read it.
The only reason why I didn't give this five stars was that some of the stories didn't feel quite as polished to me. There were some awkward sentences, some misspellings, some way-off grammar. Some endings didn't feel earned, but rather chopped off.
But I still looked forward to sitting down and reading this book. The imagination is fresh, the stories both poignant and clever. Definitely worth the read.
October 21, 2016
Take quirky characters in intriguing-yet-everyday modern settings, slightly warp the expected and add some delightful twists, and you have the absorbing, enjoyable, relationship-focused stories of Staggerwing.
As a mother of young children, I particularly connected with the story "Bigfoot," in which the mom who has it all struggles to fit in with the it-moms at the play area, trendy in their parenting and personal imperfections.
I also especially enjoyed the structure of the story "The Honeymoon Suite" and the oddity of "Blossoms" where a wayward nature hike lands a group of summer camp girls onto a 1960s hippie commune for an exceptionally awkward afternoon. "Freedom" was a fun read where we learn about a newly divorced middle aged man as he attacks a steep Vermont hill on his brand new road cycle.
In all the stories, I appreciated how the tone of Kaltman’s stories somehow remained upbeat even as topics and situations veered into somber territory. Her humor is natural and subtle, and as much as they are thought-provoking, the stories of Staggerwing are also smile-provoking. Highly recommend!
As a mother of young children, I particularly connected with the story "Bigfoot," in which the mom who has it all struggles to fit in with the it-moms at the play area, trendy in their parenting and personal imperfections.
I also especially enjoyed the structure of the story "The Honeymoon Suite" and the oddity of "Blossoms" where a wayward nature hike lands a group of summer camp girls onto a 1960s hippie commune for an exceptionally awkward afternoon. "Freedom" was a fun read where we learn about a newly divorced middle aged man as he attacks a steep Vermont hill on his brand new road cycle.
In all the stories, I appreciated how the tone of Kaltman’s stories somehow remained upbeat even as topics and situations veered into somber territory. Her humor is natural and subtle, and as much as they are thought-provoking, the stories of Staggerwing are also smile-provoking. Highly recommend!
Read
November 21, 2016Incredibly poignant and well crafted stories. Funny and interesting characters abound. Kaltman has a distinct voice, and yet each story is unique and novel.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews