Something in Common

The nineteen stories that this memorable collection comprises are a powerful testament to the continuing vitality of the literary tradition in Louisiana. Something in Common includes work by such well-known Louisiana writers as Walker Percy, Ernest Gaines, Shirley Ann Grau, and André Dubus, as well as stories by younger writers whose reputations are still being established. Together the stories provide a remarkable record of the vigor of fiction in Louisiana as the twentieth century draws to a close.

Though contemporary, these stories are a result of the habit of telling tales that goes back to the earliest days of the state's history. They come from writers who may now live in Maine or California but who remember that our stories become a mirror in which we can see ourselves and know who we are, and where we have come from.

The stories have in common a fundamental belief in the power of the written word to define a particular place and time. They testify to the rich culture of the past, when Louisiana's ways set it apart, and to present that is pulling the state to be part of social forces once foreign to its ways. They reveal a society of several races and many histories, with fading definitions of traditional roles and changing family patterns.

Additionally, these stories depict the changes brought on by merging the old with the new. They rehearse the familiar themes of good, evil, freedom, and reality with a voice not heard in the Louisiana of the past. To establish tradition they bring a fresh point of view. Something in Common remembers the past, shows us the present, and points the way to the future.

List of Stories and Authors:

The Pearl, Stella NesanovichThe New Orleans of Possibilities, David MaddenBlue Cat Club, Elton GlaserMr. Bo William Mills Because I Was Naked, James H. WilsonThe Peaceful Eye, Martha Lacy HallReunion, John William CorringtonThe Man Outside, Shirley Ann GrauThe Goose and the Thorn, Dev HathawayWhen The Bang Comes, She'll be Lying in Bed Dreaming, Patrick AndrewsThe Turtles, Ernest GainesSieur Iberville, Walker PercyA Father's Story, André DubusPiccadilly, John S. TarltonBeach Balls, Gold Stars, Mahatma Gandhi, and Hell, Frederick BartonThe Auctioneer, Carl WootonThere Are No Birds in Hoboken, James KnudsenAnnie, Listening, Nancy RichardThe Mississippiman's Son, Albert Belisle Davis