Twenty-three surreal fictions-stories, character assassinations, and mini-travelogues-from one of the most heralded writers of the American South
There are many things that repulse Dr. Ordinary. Kansas is notable for its distinct lack of farmland. Wayne's Fate is most unfortunate, not merely for Wayne but for the roofer pal who stands by watching his good buddy lose his head. Miss Resignation simply cannot win at Bingo. And there is nothing Typical about the unemployed steelworker and self-described piece of crud who strides through this collection's title story.
Welcome to the world of Padgett Powell, one of the most original American literary voices in recent memory. Typical is both a bravura demonstration of Powell's passion for words, and an offbeat, perceptive view of contemporary life-an enthralling work by a one-of-a-kind wordsmith, and a redefinition of what short fiction can be.