Short stories went out of style when most of the magazines publishing them went kaput. Sad, because those publications allowed many now famous writers to hone their skills and eke out a living before they published their first Great American Novel.However, rejoice oh thee who love an encapsulated tale that fits perfectly into our hectic lifestyle. Short stories are now back in vogue, and a new master of the genre has appeared on the scene: John Dwaine McKenna.You can finish one of his ìThe Neversink Chroniclesî stories in the time it takes to roast a chicken. But beware! Unless your family enjoys eating burnt offerings, you will have to fight the overwhelming temptation to move on to the next story.McKenna, born in Neversink, N.Y., follows the sage advice to ìwrite what you know.î In the preface, he provides a brief history of the small towns and hamlets around Neversink, which sits in ìthe heart of the Catskills Mountains.î Unfortunately, five of the seven pristine streams that flowed through the area were appropriated to create a reliable water supply for New York City. Reservoirs were built, along with ì351 miles of tunnels,î to transport the water. Taking decades to complete, the project irrevocably altered the landscape; and more than 10,000 residents were displaced.You get a sense of the close-knit communities in the first story, ìEureka Poker Night,î as the good old boys gather at Rocky OíMaraís service station for a little gambling, drinking, ìlying and bragging.î Buddy, whom the OíMaraís ìtook inî after his parents died in an automobile accident, narrates a story chock full of characters that run the gamut of human behavior. McKennaís prose is down-to-earth; yet, hypnotic ñ drawing you into the scene. I started searching my mind, attempting to determine where Iíd read a similar writing style before.McKenna answered my question in the very next story, ìThe Practice of Artful Deception,î when he incorporated a reference to ìTortilla Flatî by John Steinbeck. No author writes in a vacuum; itís not a matter of copying, but the best writerís work is always shaped by the literature he or she reads. While I picked up shades of Ray Bradbury in a few places and certainly Kurt Vonnegutís off-beat humor in others, it is not farfetched to say that McKennaís voice, style and character development were greatly influenced by Steinbeck.The variety of tales in this book covers much of what is good and bad about American society, showing how the country has changed since the 1930s. There are gangsters hiding out in the Catskills, travelers scamming locals and an account of how race relations changed after World War II. Some are mysteries. Others will especially appeal to baby boomers with childhood memories of long hot summers and the known ñ but never so vividly acknowledged ñ impact of the Vietnam War.While the environmental consequences of New York Cityís need for drinking water threads through the book, the message isnít preachy or dominant. Instead, McKenna allows readers to draw their own conclusions.Every story in ìThe Neversink Chroniclesî is enjoyable, but I especially liked the ones about Rhyolite Mountain. McKenna writes, ìIn the far ten-mile distance, the mountain looks like Godís own heap of diamond dust as it winks and glitters with ten million points of light.î It is home to Oliver and Irma Varley and their 18 children. The family is artfully entwined into five stories that could make a nice mini-novel all on its own. But I wonít give away anymore of the mountainís secrets for fear of being a spoiler.Appropriately, the last story, ìThe Destiny of Sky Riders,î takes place in McKennaís adult home ñ Colorado ñ with a link back to Neversink. Although you could say it occurs in the Twilight Zone.Normally, I limit my reviews to one per author. McKennaís books have become an exception to that rule. Readers may remember my review of ìThe Whim-Wham Manî in the September 2013 issue of The New Falcon Herald. But after becoming so enthralled by ìThe Neversink Chronicles,î I couldnít resist letting others know about it.McKennaís ìColorado Noir,î another collection of short stories ñ most of which take place in Colorado Springs ñ is good, too (expect a review later this year). In the meantime, read ìThe Neversink Chronicles.î It deserves to be on ìThe New York Times Best Sellersî list. Letís help put it there!
