Snowfall by Deesha Philyaw, 2019
The magic trick:
A story about mothers who are not in the story
We’ve got a special Weekend Double of Deesha Philyaw for Mother’s Day.
Be warned, these are not happy stories, per se. These are not straightforward stories at all. These are emotionally conflicted stories that might make you cry. In other words: these are two great short stories.
“Snowfall” tells the story of two women. They’re married, living and working in a cold, snowy city (I assume Pittsburgh) – a long way from their childhoods in the south. They’re successful in most ways, it seems, but it’s complicated. And their mothers are a big part of the complication. This is a story very much about mothers. Tellingly, though, the mothers aren’t in the story. This is the story of the absence of mothers and all the complicated feelings that are left in that wake.
And that’s quite a trick on Philyaw’s part.
The selection:
You tell people up here that you’re from the South, and nine times out of ten, they say the same old thing: “I’m sure you miss the sunshine.” Rhonda and I both miss taking sunshine and easy morning commutes for granted. But what we really miss are the laughter and embrace of our mothers and grandmothers and aunties, kin and not kin. We miss the big oak tables in their dining rooms where, as kids in the ‘70s and ‘80s, we ate bowl after bowl of their banana pudding as they talked to each other about how much weight you’d gained, like you weren’t even there. We miss helping them snap green beans and shell peas sitting at their kitchen tables watching “The Young and the Restless” on the TV perched on the pass-through. We miss how they loved Victor Newman, hated Jill Foster, and envied Miss Chancellor and how she dripped diamonds and chandeliers.
As always, join the conversation in the comments section below, on SSMT Facebook or on Twitter @ShortStoryMT.
Subscribe to the Short Story Magic Tricks Monthly Newsletter to get the latest short story news, contests and fun.
Short Story Magic Tricks 