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Inside The Cover
Book Reviews Lost People A person wouldn't mind getting to know Paul Perry's pals in Lost People,
his second book of short stories from Pocol Press. To be sure, they aren't the
people next door unless you live next door to a park or an underpass. But they
are honest and multi-dimensional. Perry's lost people are the homeless, the mentally ill, old war veterans,
ex-cons who served their time for crimes that don't seem all that criminal.
These are the people we're all a little bit too scared to look in the eye
because we may be just a paycheck or two from sharing their park bench. And yet… You have to admire the ingenuity of men and women who use their combined wits
and a healthy portion of kindness to subdue a violent man who needs only his
"meds" (At the Place). If Matt kicks his habit (A Matter of Touch), we want to throw a party. And who wouldn't try to hire the honest man who lost the best pair of shoes
he ever had (Barefoot on the Interstate)? You'll have to keep reminding yourself this is fiction. Reading Perry's
colorful descriptions of where these nomads live and how they get through the
day, you can’t believe he doesn't know each one personally. The authenticity
in his tales, the compassion, humor and pathos, all tell you he's been there. For example, here's a description of the main character in the tale
"Aaron Who Lived on Buses": "Aaron had been living on buses for more than two years. It had started
after he ran away from the Army, only an hour after arriving at Fort
Jackson…That's how long it had taken him to realize what he was going to have
to put up with for four years and, since he hated it already -- they were
marching them around, making them stand in lines, yelling at them, treating him
much like his father had always treated him -- he decided he'd better be on his
way." Perry is a retired assistant professor of English at San Antonio (TX) College
who teaches despite his retirement. Lost People is his second collection
of stories about the disenfranchised -- Street People (2000, Pocol Press)
was his first -- and the characters only get better. His stint in the Army and
his experiences while living in Japan, Korea, Germany and several large U.S.
cities texturize his writing. But his 40 years in Texas give him more than
passing familiarity with the Lone Star State and its hands-off way of dealing
with those who have no boundaries. Anyone looking for solutions to ending homelessness should not look here.
Lost People offers no fixes, quick or otherwise. It doesn't preach and takes no
political stand. But if you have only a passing, guilty awareness of the homeless, if you
think they're all criminals or drug addicts, take a look. Perry has a way of
gently stretching all boundaries. Barbara Elmore is an author of young adult fiction and a freelance writer. Her web site is www.mudpiepress.com. |
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