Leaving For Kenosha by Richard Ford, 2008
The magic trick:
A very well-drawn 12-year-old girl character
Hurricane Katrina fiction today from Richard Ford, and it’s a (surprisingly) excellent portrayal of a father-daughter relationship written by a man, who my admittedly minimal attempts at internet research suggest never had any non-fiction children.
The story essentially is told from the point of view of the father, and his character is pretty familiarly Ford-esque: the thoughtful but manly white-collar Southerner who dresses well but has made a mess of his life to some extent. That part isn’t particularly interesting. But the 12-year-old girl, his daughter, is.
I don’t know what his experience was, his source material, or how he came up with this, but it is a very well-drawn, believable character. He captures the volatile moods of a tween very well – her attempts at acting grown up and all-knowing undone by the occasional tantrums of a child.
It really is excellent and elevates an otherwise not-especially memorable story. And that’s quite a trick on Ford’s part.
The selection:
“We can certainly do that,” Walter said.
“They have gobs of cards at Wal-Mart,” Louise said. “I bought one for you there this year.”
“What would you like a card to say?”
Louise looked at him seriously. This was something she’d been thinking about. “ ‘Have fun in Kenosha,’ ” she said. “ ‘We’d love to have you come back. Love, Louise Hobbes.’ ”
“I doubt if I’ll find one that says exactly that,” Walter said. “You’ll have to write that yourself. I’ll get you a plain one.”
“But get a pretty one.” Hot, gasping late-afternoon air swarmed the cavity of the car. Louise was standing outside the open door, holding it, looking in at her father. “Maybe get one with a New Orleans theme. So she’ll remember everything down here when she’s gone and be miserable to come back.” Louise had her green night-guard container in her hand. Her nails were painted a similar green but were chipping. Green was her color. Nothing really frightened her or seemed impossible yet.
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 