Synopsis

“Reading the 27 stories in Resilience, the collection of short stories by Jim Bates is like listening to one heartfelt tune after another being sung by 27 singers and never hearing an off-note. This is writing at its finest, where fiction is so well hidden in the life-affirming stories – a hallmark that almost defines Jim’s writing – that it’s easy to forget that the plots and characters aren’t real. In Resilience, relationships aren’t merely vehicles for moving a story forward; they are the raison d’ȇtre. These are stories about husbands and wives, parents and children, grandparents and their grandchildren, brothers, and friends, both young and old, and even a few animals. Not one of them in the entire collection feels fake or contrived, which is incredible. It’s hard not to think that each character isn’t someone Jim knew or knows. There’s no exaggerated soap opera or melodrama between the characters or in the stories. People live, die, are loved, missed, and mourned as if they stepped out of the photographs and obituaries in real family scrapbooks and photo albums. The tension and conflict in many of the stories hums just beneath the surface, but the focus is on the small moments in the lives of the characters, which perfectly mirror our own lives. The drama and tragedies that exist in some of the stories never overwhelm the plot and never wander into unrealistic territory.

Resilience is a mix of Thorton Wilder’s Our Town, Edgar Lee Masters’ Spoonriver Anthology, with just a touch of a subdued J.D. Salinger thrown in. I didn’t do a word count, of course, but I think there are at least three novelette-length stories included in the collection, the quasi-crime story “Sugarfoot” being my favorite among them. I can easily see Norman Rockwell doing the illustrations to Jim’s stories, which is particularly true of his stories about boys coming of age, especially in this collection as a companion to “The Last Time I Ran Away.” Jim knows the landscapes that serve both as backdrops and centerpieces to his stories; his descriptions of places in Minnesota and North Dakota are written art pieces all their own. I highly recommend Jim’s collection.” Steven Lester Carr, author of The Theory of Existence: 50 Short Stories, among other publications.

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Excerpt

Remembrance Day

They started walking again, her soft, small hand in his large, callused one. She was five years old, of average height, and was way too skinny in his estimation, even though she ate well at every meal. She was fun-loving and had a unique personality all her own. When they were together they talked and laughed and she was a true joy in his life.

The next house up ahead was his son’s home. He pointed, “Let’s go into your folk’s backyard and play.”

“Sure,” she agreed and ran off. The old man was eighty-six years old and followed as fast as he could. It took him a while.

A few minutes later his son Steve who was standing at the window and looking into the backyard called to his wife, “There he is, Emma, I see him. There’s Dad.”

“Finally,” she said, somewhat annoyed, “He’s lived with us for ten years. Today of all days he should know we’d be eating by six o’clock.”

Steve checked his wristwatch and said, “He still has a few minutes.”

“What’s he doing out there anyway?”

“Looks like he’s dancing.”

“What?”

“Dancing.” Steve shook his head grinned to himself. He liked that his father was a bit of an eccentric. It kept things interesting. Most of the time, anyway, but not today. Today was different. “Never mind. I’ll go get him.”

“Please hurry. I’m putting the food on the table.”

In the dining room sat Steve and Emma’s other four children. This was the family’s Remembrance Day. The day they set aside every year to remember the short life of Alisha Ann Drayton, Steve and Emma’s youngest daughter who fifteen years ago today had died at the age of five from acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Steve went downstairs and out of the back door. “Hey Dad,” he called, “Come on in. Dinner’s on the table.”

Out in the yard, the old man stopped running around and playing tag with Allie. She was wearing him out and he was getting tired, even though he didn’t mind trying to keep up. He just wasn’t as young as he wanted to be.

He turned toward his son, “All right. Just give me a minute.”

“Sure, Dad,” Steve said, walking over. He put his arm affectionately around his father’s shoulder, “You doing okay?”

“Yeah, son, I am.” He was quiet for a moment, “I just miss her, you know. I miss being with her. Playing with her. We were close. She was one of the best things that ever happened to me.” He paused a moment and then added, “It’s not just today, son, but every day. Every day is Remembrance Day. At least it is for me.” His eyes suddenly became moist as tears formed.

Steve sighed and gave his dad a compassionate hug. “Me, too, Dad,” he said, “me, too.”

Then they walked slowly towards the back door. The old man didn’t want to go inside just yet but knew he had to. Emma had dinner ready and he didn’t want to be rude. After all, it was generous of his son and wife to have him live with them. More than generous.

Over his shoulder the old man turned and waved to Allie, standing in the middle of the yard. The wind blew through her hair and the sun caught her freckles just right, making them seem to sparkle. She smiled and waved back, locked forever in the old man’s memory.

“I’ll see you soon,” he said to his granddaughter as he turned and started for the door.

“What’d you say, Dad?” Steve asked.

“Nothing,” the old man said. “It must have been the wind.”

Then he turned and waved to Allie one more time before finally going inside.

About the Author

Jim’s stories and poems have appeared in nearly five hundred online and print publications. His collection of short stories, Resilience, is published by Bridge House Publishing. Short Stuff, a collection of flash fiction and drabbles is published by Chapeltown Books. Periodic Stories, Periodic Stories Volume Two, Periodic Stories Volume Three – A Novel, and Periodic Stories Volume Four are published by Impspired. Dreamers, a collection of short stories, is published by Clarendon House Publishing. Something Better, a dystopian adventure novella, and the novel, The Alien of Orchard Lake, are published by Dark Myth Publications. In the fall of 2022, his collection entitled Holiday Stories was published by Impspired as was his collection of poetry, Haiku Seasons. In February 2023, Periodic Stories Volume IV was published, as was his collection of poems, The Alchemy of Then, both by Impspired. In June 2023, a collection of flash fiction, Dancing With Butterflies, was published by Impspired.In July 2023, his YA novella The Battle of Marvel Wood was published by Impspired. His short story “Aliens” was nominated by The Zodiac Press for the 2020 Pushcart Prize. His story “The Maple Leaf” was voted 2021 Story of the Year for Spillwords. He was voted December 2022 Author of the Month for Spillwords. He also reads his stories for Talking Stories Radio and for Jim’s Storytime on his website. He lives in a small town west of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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