That's True Of Everybody: Intimate Short Stories About the Contradictions of the Human Heart

by Mark Winegardner

The proprietor of a bowling alley whose artist daughter paints only phalluses. A ninth-grade girl who marries in haste only to be faced with her husband's impotence. A libidinous poet who learns the meaning of harassment. The life and loves of a professional lawn-mower. These are just a few of the distinctive stories that make up Mark Winegardner's remarkable debut short-story collection.
Winegardner, whose rich and epic novel Crooked River Burning gave the much-maligned city of Cleveland a fresh and vibrant aspect, now returns to the Midwest that he knows so intimately and casts a piercingly compassionate eye on its denizens. The result is a kaleidoscopic picture of a people who are arrogant and humble, faithful and disloyal, driven and floundering-a people who are finally, America itself.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction

252 pages, Paperback

First published July 25, 2002

About the author

Mark Winegardner (born November 24, 1961) is an American writer born and raised in Bryan, Ohio. His novels include The Godfather Returns, Crooked River Burning, and The Veracruz Blues. He published a collection of short stories, That's True of Everybody, in 2002. His newest novel, The Godfather's Revenge, was published in November 2006 by Putnam. His Godfather novels continue the story of the Corleone family depicted in Mario Puzo's The Godfather.

According to a press release from Putnam: In a major acquisition, G. P. Putnam's Sons Executive Editor Dan Conaway secured North American rights to The Godfather's Revenge, the capstone to the Corleone family saga, which began with Mario Puzo's landmark novel and was carried forward in Winegardner's 2004 New York Times bestseller, The Godfather Returns. The Godfather's Revenge was written by Winegardner, based on Puzo's original characters.

"It's staggering to contemplate the legacy of the Godfather films and novels," says Dan Conaway. "They have had a deeper, broader and more lasting impact on the fabric of contemporary culture than has any other such franchise in the past 50 years.

It's fitting, then, that The Godfather's Revenge overlays the resonant mythology of the Corleone family onto the most vexing real-life mystery of our age, with a storyline that explores the role organized crime may have had in the assassination of a charismatic young President." [1]

Reviews

[Hannah Garden · Rating 3 out of 5]

This guy came to my college one time and totally thought I was AWESOME, so naturally I totally respect him as an author and as an extremely brilliant man. That said, this book of stories was pretty embarrassing. Felt like he wrote it when he was like twenty or something. Buh.

[Julene · Rating 3 out of 5]

That's True of Everybody, by Mark Winegardner is a book filled with middle Americans, average people not doing so well. A pathetic bunch. Some work hard in dying professions, barely hanging on, or hanging on until it dies in the case of the drive-in movie theater. Then there is the man who owns a bowling alley, another a home gardening company. Men and women who have sex with whoever happens to be around. Divorce is plenty. Pregnancy and no money. Sex without condoms. People harassing, people leaving people, people pushing people to the edge, in one case to death, no one doing well.

He uses some interesting language, I did not get bored, but these lives are sad and it's not a world I'd want to live in and don't think of myself as the title says, true of everybody.

Here are some quotes that speak volumes about our Mid-Altantic co-inhabitants of the planet:
"...was admitted into a creative-writing program at a big concrete university in one of the rectangular states..." (he refers the mid-west states as rectangular a few times in the book, also at least one of his characters appear in more than one story)
"Their comments on his stories always contained the phrase this has potential, which everyone knows no one ever means."

There is reference to the plague, by which he means AIDS but for some reason doesn't say explicitly, one of the aspects that date this book. A woman who is sick tells an ex lover she got it after she slept with him. He already had a test so knew he didn't have it which he chose not to say to her. I read this book because of this story and wanted to like it better.

Other quotes:
"There comes a time when the things you used to make fun of are the things you spend your free time doing. It's painless. It just happens to you."
"They're spooked. Youth. They'll eventually see enough to join the unsurprised."

The stories blend together in a sad statement, which if that is his point then he succeeded.

[Susanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another one of my favorite book of short stories. My personal favorites from this book are stories from a section entitled "Tales of Academic Lunacy." I haven't read any of his other work at all. If you have, I'd love to hear what you think of it.

[Chana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Depressing little vignettes, so pathetically human, sometimes very funny, often sad. Everything is so clearly drawn but with no real beginnings or endings. It is akin to reading sharp, clear photographs.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having enjoyed Wineardner's novel, Crooked River Burning, I was left rather disappointed in his collection of short stories. A few of the early ones were good, but then I felt as if i was reading a collection of chapters, each from a different never completed book.

[Laura Rose Clawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't usually like short stories but these were well-written and organized.

[Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice collection of short stories.

[Susieq · Rating 4 out of 5]

i do like short stories, and i like this author- win/win! Mr. Winegardner's style is appealing, and the stories are diverse. basically about middle class life, but with a twist.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short story collection set in OH and IN primarily. The characters all have hard-luck lives and are sympathetic and relatable. Reminded me of Knockemstiff, although not as dark.