"Hollywood Lanes" was a story in QUEENS NOIR, which was published in 2008. Another story in the collection, "Buckner's Error" won the Edgar that year for Best Short Story. This may have been Megan's first short story.
This story perfectly captures both Megan's writing and Megan of 2008. I wish I could print it all here. It is so packed with description, it overflows the page. The detail makes that bowling alley seem more real than any I have ever been in. It is also packed with the longing of a young girl. I can't remember Megan ever bowling (it was out of favor in her youth), but she must have been in this one when she first moved to Forest Hills.
Hollywood Lanes existed in Forest Hills from 1952 until 2002. In this story, a twelve year old girl is working alongside of her mother at the bowling alley although she is mostly, along with everyone else working there, following the romance that goes on behind the pins each day. She is at the age when what she sees gives her feelings she can't quite define. What makes it doubly exciting is that the man's wife is working there too and everyone is waiting for her to discover the affair.
Our protagonist is so busy following what goes on behind the pins that she doesn't notice what's going on outside the lanes. I'm not going to tell. I hope someday Megan will put together a collection. She doesn't write shorts anymore though so it's unlikely.
12 comments:
That Megan Abbott lady sounds like a pretty good writer.
I wish Megan would write more short stories, too!
I love "Hollywood Lanes"! Great choice!
I am pretty sure I read this collection so must have read Megan's story, yet I don't remember it. I might have to get the book from the library, as perhaps I didn't read it after all. I know I read multiple Brooklyn and Manhattan Noir volumes. Hmm.
Currently read the occasionally amusing but very dark, YOUR NOSTALGIA IS KILLING ME: Linked Stories by John Weir. It won the Grace Paley Prize in Short Fiction. (I am a big Paley fan, though this is certainly not like her writing.) The first linked section is called "AIDS Nostalgia" so you can see his sense of humor is dark. Most of the stories deal with the death of the main character's best friend from AIDS. "American Graffiti" starts at his high school graduation in 1976, where everyone in his school yells "faggot" at him when he walks by, even at graduation. Another story is set in a porn theater. One is in the hospital when the friend is dying.
Despite all this, he writes well and certainly keeps you reading.
Also reading the last Jean Rhys collection.
OK< got QUEENS NOIR and I will look at her short story first.
Downloaded the Queens book and it is not familiar at all, so thanks for mentioning it!
I know I read BROOKLYN NOIR 1, 2 and 3. Also MANHATTAN 1, 2 and 3. There is also a BRONX NOIR and a STATEN ISLAND NOIR, but not sure about those either.
She has a story in Detroit Noir, Wall Street Noir, Phoenix Noir and maybe another one. This is my favorite though. Have never read a Jean Rhys short.
As I remember them, her novels are better.
Good story. No, I never read it before. I know that area as we lived near there until I was 9. We used to beg my mother to take us to the Hamburger Train on Austin Street.
I did not know that there was a QUEENS NOIR, but now I have purchased an ebook copy. Luckily, it was a reasonable price. Megan's story sounds very good.
Megan also had a story in MISSISSIPPI NOIR, "Oxford Girl" I think. I have read that one (and enjoyed it) and a few others in that book.
How could I forget MS NOIR, I read a story from that one a few weeks ago.
Good morning,
I posted on on Monday: Suspense Stories.
Thanks,
Frank
Post a Comment