Book Review: “Thirteen Stories” by Eudora Welty

 

The last thing Eudora Welty wanted to be known as was a “Southern Gothic” writer. Out of respect for her wish, I will not be calling her that, even though she most certainly wrote some of the best Southern Gothic short stories of the mid-20th century. 

So who did Eudora Welty want the world to see her as? I would like to think that she would be happy with the phrase “Student of People and Humanity”. It was her observations of the people of her home state of Mississippi during the Great Depression that awakened her to what Post-Reconstruction life was really like in the South. 

 So what do Eudora Welty and Southern Gothic literature have in common? Ms. Welty wrote about the real South. Nothing was aggrandized or portrayed with gardenia scented false memories. All the cracks, decay, ignorance, prejudices, insincerities, violence, and racism were on display for everyone to see. 

Her stories are told in a way that anyone else recounting them would find the situations mundane and typical. However her sharp eye and precision understanding of people reveal a more meaningful, sometimes sinister layer that she expertly reveals to the reader.

 “Thirteen Stories” originally released in 1965, is a collection of previously published short stories that span over 25 years of Ms. Welty’s writing career. They were selected as the finest examples of her craft and for their endurance as stunning pieces of literature. 

 “Why I Live at the PO” is one of Ms. Welty’s most famous works. It recounts the lives of one small town family, especially the grown daughters, one of whom has just moved back in with the family after a divorce and the other who is not going to take that without a fight. As one might say, hilarity ensues

“A Worn Path” is probably Ms. Welty’s most anthologized short story. It’s the tale of an ancient woman’s epic journey across the hills and fields and into the nearest town to complete her mission. Just as the birds and the butterflies find their way by instinct and sometimes unknown determination, she must keep going, even though she can’t always remember exactly why it is she is travelling.

 “Keela, the Outcast Indian Maiden” is one of the most disturbing, surreal tales that I’ve personally read, and I'll leave it to you to read it for yourself and come to your own conclusions. 

 There are many other lives to peer into in this collection, including Mr. Marblehall, who is living a double life in plain sight of the city of Natchez. Check this book out today to find out who all in Mississippi may have a secret worth knowing or a past worth digging up.

By Michael Coe| Library Assistant III, North Birmingham Library/Inglenook Library