I Just Read About That…

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 5, 2023] “Canopy”

This year my wife ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my sixth time reading the Calendar–it’s a holiday tradition!  Here’s what H&O says about the calendar this year.

The 2023 Short Story Advent Calendar is a deluxe box set of individual short stories from some of the best writers in North America and beyond.  Now in its ninth year, the SSAC is back to once again bring readers a deluxe, peppermint-fresh collection of 25 short stories from some of the best writers in North America and beyond.

The author of this story was Naben Ruthnum.  Each day has an online component with the author with a brief interview.

It’s December 5. Naben Ruthnum, author of Helpmeet, politely bites his tongue at the gallery opening.

I don’t have to love every story in this collection–the ones I really like is pretty high.  This one just fell flat for me. 

Right from the start, the story was a little confusing.  From what I can gather, L’Auberge is a private, expensive half-way house of sorts for artists, located in British Columbia.  But it’s very easy for the artists to get kicked out.  As the story opens Bittell is getting forcibly removed from the place.

One of the characters, Cindy Lum, is eleven months sober.  She was supposed to go to the University of Austin, but wound up in a Dallas meth den.  Now, cleaned out, she is writing a truly awful novel.

Another character is Anji Bora.  Like the other people there she seems very bitter about being there.  Although I’m not really sure why as it is a place for them to explore their art, I think.

Midway through the story we learn that Bittell is back–he’s hanging out on the grounds.  And Anji is sneaking out at night to visit him.

The doctor, Meyer, wants Anji to stop hanging around with Cindy.  This makes both Anji and Cindy mad.

It turns out that Bittell’s goal is nothing that I expected.  And when he’s done I have no idea why he did it.