TOMMY HOUSWORTH

 

 

Buddhist Catnaps & Broken Down Hymns (2014)

 

Kurt Vonnegut once said that short stories are akin to "Buddhist Catnaps" because of the state of presence they place the reader in.  This collection is my best attempt at giving you the opportunity for a few Buddhist Catnaps, though you needn't be Buddhist to indulge.  As for Broken-Down Hymns, music and redemption seemed to emerge as common themes in these stories.  Some characters find redemption, others aren't as fortunate.  Sorta like life...

 

Here is what others are saying about this collection of stories: 

 

"The poet Lucille Clifton once said, 'Every pair of eyes facing you has probably experienced something you could not endure.' This unfettered empathy is at the heart of this piercing and unforgettable collection of stories​.  With a keen ear for dialogue and an even keener sense of the complicated malaise of the early twenty-first century, Housworth sings the bruised and battered, elevating what could have been a dirge into a true redemption song.  With grit, grace, humor, and wisdom, these stories reveal us to ourselves again and again, reminding us of our fragile hold in a world where we are constantly challenged to be both human and humane."                                                 -  Stacey Lynn Brown, poet, Cradle Song

 

 

'I've read Housworth's earlier work, and always enjoyed his witty, intelligent voice. But with BUDDHIST CATNAPS his artistry and skill have taken great leaps. This is a touching and engaging collection that stuck with me long after I read it. The prose is lean and tight and elegant, the characters real and relatable. I'm not always a huge reader of short stories, but I don't hesitate to recommend these stories to anyone--you'll get lost in each one as Housworth weaves worlds as vivid as they are enduring."  

                                        -  Tiffany Yates, Foxprint Editorial

 

“Housworth’s stories take you on a ride—a rush of a ride in a classic car with the windows open and the music blaring, the kind of music that reminds you of your soul’s deepest desires. So, buckle up, put your bare feet on the dash and get ready to fly.”

                                          —Janece Shaffer, playwright, The Geller Girls

 

“Soulful, honest, darkly hilarious writing. We’ve needed a new Carver.

  Maybe we’ve found him.”

                                         —Sean Daniels, artist-at-large with Geva                                                   Theatre Center; founder, Dad’s Garage

 

 

"Some how Housworth has managed to create not just great snapshots of real people but he has also managed to fully tell the stories in such a way that leaves you satisfied, complete and often contemplating a larger issue.

Also I am a sucker for well written dialogue (either between characters or in one character's head) and the well turned phrase. There is plenty of that included in this volume as well.

These stories are funny, dark, touching, uplifting and heartbreaking. Really they are beauty on the page."    

                                                  -  Christy Costello, Amazon reviewer

 

 

"Some damn fine writing.  Period." 

                                                 -  Steve Coulter, screenwriter