The woman returns from the store with an armload of books. This brilliant compilation showcases the best new writers from the literary underground. Aug 31, 2017 there was a time when ben loory lived at night. Stories for nighttime and some for the day kindle edition. A graduate of harvard university and the american film institute mfa program in screenwriting, loory. He recently exchanged emails with willing davidson, a fiction editor at the magazine. Stories for nighttime and some for the day ben loory full stop. She reads them quickly, one by one, over the course of the next few weeks. When i first came to read ben loorys stories five years ago, i began to see just. Thats how he puts it, as if night isnt a stretch of empty hours to endure, but a place to enter, to discover whole worlds inside.
Another cool million writers award story this was the first story i chose to read for the million writers award this year. Stories for nighttime and some for the day by ben loory book of. Stories by ben loory for day and night but mostly the night. Stories for nighttime and some for the day by ben loory goodreads. Jul 27, 2011 in the first story of ben loory s debut collection, a woman buys a book, takes it home, and is dismayed to learn that it is filled with empty pages. The novels focus on one singular emotional conflict and a character while removing the adjective the names of characters or any quotation marks. Strange, gorgeous fables the reader isnt sure if she has dreamed them or read them. Everythingthat youve always lied about your biggest emotional traumathen you crylater you stand up and show him your breasts. After she protests that he cant possibly read a blank book, he defends himself. Through a skype interview, it came to knowledge that all of loory s short stories are influenced by one short story, the octopus. When she comes across a man reading the same book on the metro, her indignation grows.
Ben loory by susan salter reynolds september 24, 2011 strange, gorgeous fables the reader isnt sure if she has dreamed them or read them. Lenore zion kicking off the reading with her essay, community service, where she explores and upends the guilt ridden magnetism of social work. His fables and tales have appeared in the new yorker and on more about ben loory. When i saw the description of ben loory s stories for nighttime and some for the day, i knew i had to read the book. Ben loory born july 11, 1971 is an american short fiction writer. In the first story of ben loorys debut collection, a woman buys a book. Stories for nighttime and some for the day by ben loory was what the title read. We have all been told we should not judge a book by its cover. So begins ben loorys strange and wondrous collection of short. This collection of wry and witty, dark and perilous contemporary fables and tales is populated by peopleand monsters and aliens and animals and inanimate objectsmotivated by and grappling with the fears and desires that unite us all. Ben loory s career as a writer 1498 words bartleby. Meanwhile, in california the nervous breakdown at book. Apr 07, 2017 its the kind of place that basically thrusts a pile of books onto your lap.
Ben loory penguin books 72911 hardcover244 pages isbn. Stories for nighttime and some for the day reading notes. Loory fabricates an outlandish abnormal world in 39 compressed short stories, fables and. Ben loory s fables and tales have appeared in the new yorker, on this american life, at word theatre, and on selected shorts. Stories by ben loory for day and night but mostly the night posted on july 30, 2011 by poofbooks this gifted writer has gone to a twisted and fun place to deliver these tales in stories for nighttime and some for the day. See all books authored by ben loory, including stories for nighttime and some for the day, and the baseball player and the walrus, and more on. Aug, 2011 ben loory s fables and tales have appeared in the new yorker, on this american life, at word theatre, and on selected shorts. Loory s stories have appeared in the new yorker, tin house, electric. It is about an octopus who moves out of the ocean to live in the city. Ben loory writes his novels in his characteristic pared down spare style that seeks to remove any unnecessary details that may take the attention from the highly emotional thrust of such tales.
Meanwhile, in california the nervous breakdown at book soup. I have never really been one for reading short storiesuntil now. Yet despite the fact that the stories are undeveloped, like stick. As i read the first couple of stories, i began to sense loory s style, which i might sum up as short and abrupt.
This enrages her and leads to various misfortunes until, decades. Ben loory writes short, quirky stories harvard magazine. Then there is the time you come across a book with both a flying saucer and a giant tentacle on the cover and of course you are compelled to pick it up. In the book, a woman buys some books, and one is full of blank pages. Oct 25, 2019 overall, reading these short stories reminded me of when i was a child and exploring the world inside of a new book with wonder and acceptance. Apr 30, 2010 the octopus is a 2009 science fiction short story by ben loory.
Stories for nighttime and some for the day ben loory full. This is the story of an octopus who has moved to the city. Yet despite the fact that the stories are undeveloped, like stick figures in a flip book, loory uses some sort of magic to elicit strong pathos. Jul 30, 2011 stories by ben loory for day and night but mostly the night posted on july 30, 2011 by poofbooks this gifted writer has gone to a twisted and fun place to deliver these tales in stories for nighttime and some for the day. An octopus builds a reclusive existence for himself in a major city. Jan 24, 2012 stories for nighttime and some for the day by ben loory brings back the parable, the allegory, and the fable in an absurdist manner think animal farm meets the myth of sisyphus and paul particularly with its comedic attributes and alien encounters. Jul 26, 2011 with his first book, ben loory proves hes already a master of the sleight of hand. Ben loory is a screenwriter whos done project work for jodie foster and alex proyas, so it seems appropriate that his debut shortstory collection, stories for nighttime and some for the day, brings the thrifty, breezy storytelling of the screen to prose fiction. Ben loory s collection of short stories has unnamed charactersincluding an octopus. Clocking in at 40 stories in 200 pages, this singleserving approach reads like grimms fairy tales filtered through george.
Beautifully painted with a ufo and a sensual octopus tentacle caressing the title, the man felt the cover and enjoyed the texture of the heavy stock paper it was bound in. Ben loory author of stories for nighttime and some for. Stories for nighttime and some for the day is a book full of tiny little stories that left me longing for just a little more. The man turned the book in his hands and looked at the cover. Jul 27, 2011 loorys collection of wry and witty, dark and perilous contemporary fables is populated by peopleand monsters and trees and jocular octopiwho are united by twin motivations. The long of it this is a collection of oftentimes surreal an octopus who has slight agoraphobia living downtown and oddly unique short stories. Ben loory is a writer of short stories, most of which are fables or absurd fantasies, and creative nonfiction, as well as a screenwriter and a musician. Loorys collection of wry and witty, dark and perilous contemporary fables is populated by peopleand monsters and trees and jocular octopiwho are united by twin motivations.
Stories for nighttime and some for the day by ben loory. Shades of ballard, kafka, ellison, lovecraft, murakami, july, and palahniuk resonate throughout. The inspiration for all of that story was about me leaving my family to. One of my favorite short stories in the book is called the octopus.
Dick had a love child, and richard brautigan raised him in watermelon sugar, he might write stories like ben loory. Stories for nighttime and some for the day by ben loory, paperback. Ben loory is on instagram 832 posts on their profile. Stories for nighttime and some for the day by ben loory is a post written by jen thorpe on book of jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. Ben loory is the author of the collection stories for nighttime and some for the day and a picture book for children, the baseball player and the walrus. In a new book, louis menand probes the cultural currents of postwar america. Help us create the kind of literary community youve always dreamed of. When i saw the description of ben loorys stories for nighttime and. The octopus in which a solitary, apartment dwelling cephalopod with a. Stories for nighttime and some for the day ben loory p. Loory gives wings to many of these flights of fancy, but their flights are.
While i was at my brothers, i read the coolest, strangest book i first heard on this american life amazing podcast called stories for nighttime and some for the day by ben loory. He is the author of the collections stories for nighttime and some for the day penguin, 2011 and tales of falling and flying penguin, 2017, as well as a picture book for children, the baseball player and the walrus dial books for young readers, 2015. Ben loory reading the dodo from tales of falling and flying. He is also the author of tales of falling and flying and a picture book for children, the baseball player and the walrus. Arc from netgalley the short of it clever and odd short fic fun. The octopus is a 2009 science fiction short story by ben loory.
Ben loory is the author of the collections stories for nighttime and some for the day and tales of falling and flying, as well as a picture book for children, the baseball player and the walrus. But when she opens the last one, the woman frowns in surprise. Apr 04, 2010 this weeks fiction offering is the tv, by ben loory. Tales of falling and flying by ben loory, paperback.
Lansdale, aimee bender, alissa nutting, carlton mellick iii, bentley little, ryan boudinot, ben loory, amelia gray, jeremy robert johnson, cameron pierce. Stories for nighttime and some for the day is that rare finda book that excites the reader. Jul 01, 2011 loorys collection of wry and witty, dark and perilous contemporary fables is populated by peopleand monsters and trees and jocular octopiwho are united by twin motivations. A journey into ben loory s unearthly imagination, stories for nighttime and some for the day, is startling. Tales of falling and flying by ben loory, paperback barnes. Michael schaub, the most fun i had reading a book in 2017.
He is a graduate of harvard university and earned an mfa in screenwriting from. Stories for nighttime and some for the day ben loory. Ben loory is the author of the collection stories for nighttime and some for the day, and a picture book for children, the baseball player and the walrus. A celebration of the imagination with a healthy touch of anarchistic attitude. Ben loory is the author of the collections tales of falling and flying and stories for nighttime and some for the day, both from penguin books. Stories by ben loory for day and night but mostly the. Ray bradbury loorys collection of wry and witty, dark and perilous. Each story is about 20 pages long, but is utterly absorbing. September 14, 2017 here i am reading the dodo, the first story from my new book, tales of falling and flying. Harvard development partner tishman speyers proposed massing and configuration of buildings for the first phase of construction on the enterprise research campus in allston. He is also the author of a picture book for children, the baseball player and the walrus. Ben loory author of stories for nighttime and some for the day. Stewart onan, author of last night at the lobster if mother goose and philip k.
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