Acclaimed literary author David Carpenter’s new collection of short fiction addresses the theme of human frailties in his distinctively empathetic style
Shadowpaw Press in Regina, Saskatchewan, is happy to announce the hardcover release on February 18 of Hello, the fourth collection of short stories by award-winning Saskatoon author David Carpenter and his first since 2009.
This volume contains nine pieces of short fiction, the three longest of which are love stories. The six shorter pieces are about characters who try to make their way through dilemmas and losses that threaten their place in the world, their well-being, their dignity, and even their lives.
“The narratives are graceful and strong, confidently written by someone who the reader can immediately tell has handled language for many years, and the effect is not unlike hearing a pianist who has been playing for decades, whose fingers touch the keys with a skill, sureness, and grace not available to a less-experienced performer,” is how reviewer and author J. Jill Robinson (The Land of Not Knowing) puts it.
“This collection offers memorable characters, brilliant dialogue, and treasures of gorgeous writing,” says Shadowpaw Press publisher and editor Edward Willett. “I’m thrilled to be able to publish these powerful stories by one of Saskatchewan’s best-known authors.”
Carpenter’s most recent accolades include The Kloppenburg Literary Award, the High Plains Book Award, the Saskatchewan Book of the Year Award, The Independent Publishers’ Book Award (Canadian short fiction), ForeWord Magazine’s Book of the Year Award (North American fiction), the Code Burt Award for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis literature, and an honorary doctorate from the University of Saskatchewan.
“I am thrilled that Shadowpaw took a chance on me,” says Carpenter, adding, “I’ve always wanted to publish a book with a press named after a black Siberian cat.”
More about Hello
In two novellas and seven shorter stories, award-winning author David Carpenter addresses the theme of human frailties in his distinctively empathetic style.
A disabled widower seeks comfort in memory by getting in touch with his younger self. An old drunk, assisted by his own delusions, lays his ghosts to rest. A young child escapes her oppressive family by ministering to the needs of a monster in distress. A social reject acquires a new look and becomes consumed with the need for revenge against his early tormentors. A former social worker encourages a friendship with a paroled criminal. A cleaning woman in strained circumstances, determined to support herself and her child, feels compelled to make extreme choices.
Some of Carpenter’s characters face the frailties that come with old age, loneliness chief among them. Others become vulnerable to their own compulsions and set in motion moral dilemmas. Many of these loners reach for their phones to send or receive a message that might deliver them from their isolation, but even though they hear “Hello” from the person they reach out to, there is no guarantee of deliverance.
These are tales told by a master of language, an author who uses words with skill, sureness, and grace. While his characters may not find what they’re looking for, readers of these compelling pieces of short fiction surely will.
More about the author
David Carpenter began his writing vocation as a critic and translator in Winnipeg and Toronto. Inspired by a reading by the Moose Jaw Movement (Gary Hyland, Robert Currie, Lorna Crozier and others) in Saskatoon, he switched to writing his own work, which began to emerge in 1985.
He is the author of fifteen books of fiction and nonfiction and one book of poetry. His literary awards and honours include the Saskatchewan Book Awards 2010 Book of the Year for A Hunter’s Confession, the Kloppenburg Prize for Literary Excellence (2015), the Code’s Burt Award (Toronto) for The Education of Augie Merasty (2016), and, most recently, the High Plains Creative Nonfiction Award (Billings, Montana) for I Never Met a Rattlesnake I Didn’t Like (2023). As well, as a recognition for his writing, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Saskatchewan (2018).
He lives and writes in Saskatoon.
About Shadowpaw Press
Shadowpaw Press, located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, was founded in 2018 by award-winning author Edward Willett. Shadowpaw Press is a member of Literary Press Group (Canada) and the Association of Canadian Publishers and publishes an eclectic selection of books by both new and established authors, including adult fiction, young adult fiction, children’s books, nonfiction, and anthologies.
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