Genre-Bending “House Gone Quiet” Probes What It Means to Belong https://ift.tt/VPgOMN2
The eclectic collection House Gone Quiet: Stories, by Kelsey Norris, offers ten stories distinct in genre, tone, and voice. Ranging from social commentary ripe with sardonic wit to the dreamy surrealism of bioluminescent algae, Norris’s stories are indeed individually contained and yet connected, each pointing its unique lens toward ideas of community and belonging.
The shortest story in the collection, “Decency Rule,” is a satire about the absurdity that abounds when critical thinking gives way to cult-like worship of politicians. Without warning or reason, the mayor of a town declares that no one is allowed to wear clothes anymore. “This stunt was only his latest power play; he wanted to see how far he could push us from who we’d been, before him.” Given our current political climate, the parodied subject is initially implied, then seemingly confirmed with the line, “He was vulgar and rude and only good to people who were exactly like him.”
Norris brilliantly points to the social reaction along the entire spectrum, first noting the conservatives’ unthinking support, followed by the rest of the town’s concession following the criminalization of clothing. This development leads to neighbors snitching on one another and the realization that, “We had only ever developed a defensive strategy, incorrectly assumed the others would concede with time.” This thinly veiled satire of the U.S. political climate is the shortest in the collection, yet one that holds up the clearest mirror.
Next in the collection, “Choose Bliss,” follows a woman’s spiritual reckoning. She quickly suspends her disbelief when a ghost-like older man miraculously appears during a meditation session in her Relaxation Room. Comparable to Martin Riker’s novel, The Guest Lecture, in concept, the apparition of this story is much different in character than Riker’s use of economist Richard Maynard Keynes. Norris’s imagined figure takes the form of a predatory professor – a reincarnation that sours the initially lighthearted tone of the story, representing the ease with which men too often abuse their power, often with no remorse or repercussion. Ultimately a story of redemption, Norris uses new-age methods of finding oneself after a marriage has dissolved to trace her character’s reckoning with what was, what is, and what has always been.
The subject matter of House Gone Quiet spans social issues, political figures, racism, and gender divides. These stories are complemented with narratives verging on the mystical or surreal. In “Salt” a single mother and her two children build a home in the center of an arid salt flat. A combination of ignorance and unexplained coincidence lead the townspeople to create and believe the rumor that she is capable of magic, abiui8le to bring miracles if given the right gifts. This belief places her as either one to be feared or one to revere, either option alienating her from complete welcoming into the community.
Norris’ collection can be read over a sustained period because of its connectedness, or each story can be consumed one at a time because of its topical range. The focus of each story is established early on, drawing you in with the need to know when the tension will break or how far the absurdity will go. Whether her characters long for, feel “othered” from, or question their place within a certain community, Norris provides them with moments of uncertainty and clarity in equal measure. This debut collection is approachable and entertaining, using the power of storytelling to explore and then to connect new perspectives on familiar situations.
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