In William Petrick’s short story anthology, Video Verite and Other Stories, we are introduced to an array of memorable characters thrown into compelling situations: a gifted car mechanic’s selflessness impacts the life of a troubled BMW owner; the parents of a young man on Death Row face a documentary producer hungry for an interview with them, no matter what the cost; an adulterer takes extreme steps to rid himself of an expensive watch. At first it might seem that nothing is truly out of the ordinary here, but read on. An insidious undertow will pull you in and hold you prisoner for the duration of the read (and possibly after).
These twelve short pieces truly pack a whollop. Mr. Petrick has a great talent for imbuing the mundane with an edge that is at once subtle yet overwhelmingly disturbing. If there is a thread that runs through these tales, it is that taking things at face value is a mistake: one that may force us to pay with our hearts or even our lives in the end.
All the stories are exceptional, but two in particular stand out: "Shooting Harlem" is a scathing commentary on the type of documentary you might see on 20/20 or some other news show of that ilk. Burns, who has been assigned to film this piece by his producer, thinks he’s got it easy. His subject, Sandra, an elementary school student who lives with her mother and older sister in Harlem, will be given a college scholarship when she finishes 12th grade. Upon entering the family’s apartment, Burns is disappointed to find it clean, nicely furnished, and well maintained. When he meets Ida, he finds a strong, proud woman who is nothing like the needy, subservient welfare mother he was expecting. His expectations turn what should have been an easy shoot into an unexpectedly unpleasant challenge.
Article comments