Rest Area

By Clay McLeod Chapman

Book Overview

This edgy, darkly humorous short story collection will take hold of your imagination and won't let go. Sharply tuned, haunting, and darkly humorous, these stories take readers from the country fair to the suburban home to the boy scout camping trip, flipping each stopping point on its head. Every story begins and ends with one voice, and each contains a mystery or turn of events that shocks, entertains, and frightens--and often all three. In the title story, rest area, a father chats with other drivers while he waits for his daughter at a rest stop. She went to the bathroom, and he's been waiting for her ever since, and now he's handing out her picture. Have you seen her? Are you sure you haven't seen her? A remarkable combination of unexpected tenderness, deep sensitivity, and a fascination with the darker side of domesticity, these tales of ordinary people caught up in extraordinary situations will echo in your head long after you close the pages. Entering into its sixth year, Clay Chapman's Pumpkin Pie Show has established itself as an all-points artistic hodgepodge of music, theatre, and literature. It is a rigorous story-telling session backed with its own live soundtrack, built upon the same structure as a rock band, complete with musicians and vocalists. Each show consists of four 15 minute short stories, which can either be read or performed on stage.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 078688634X
• ISBN13: 9780786886340
• Release Date: February 2003
• Publisher: Theia
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.86 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.0" x 8.1"
• Age Range: 17 to 18 years
• Grade Range: Grade 12 to Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

Genius!

Mr. McLeod Chapman actually came to my university to perform a couple of pieces from this novel; they were all brilliant, but the one that really sticks out in my mind is "Suitors' Ward". As a short story, it's tragically beautiful. As a monologue, it's one of the most powerful pieces I've ever heard. Everyone should buy this book so they can be exposed to the author's wonderful writing style, talent, and his unique way of writing beauty into the twisted things in our world.

Beautiful, Chilling. Must Have.

I purchased this collection of short stories after a friend brought me to see the Author perform in NYC. I was visiting from LA and didn't know what to expect... What I got was pure genius. Storytelling at it's finest. I had to purchase this collection immediately. It's a perfect collection of some beautiful stories. Some beautiful, scary, funny, terrifying and sad stories. I was amazed that simple words on a page could send such chills down my spine. Chapman has a gift for making the grotesque beautiful (and vice versa)and clearly has a love for language. To use an overused term that is incredibly appropriate in this case, this young man is a MASTER STORYTELLER. The only complaint about this book? I wish the author could read it to me. For not only is he a terrific writer, but a wonderfully dark performer. Buy this book. I'm so glad I did.

Short, but powerful

Clay McLeod Chapman has transferred his passion for dialogue very nicely into this attractive and important short fiction collection.Coming froma drama background, Chapman is an expert at writing monologues. Rest Area is an expansion of some of his favourites. These stories are funny and rich; sad and dark. Chapman's evocative style presents his subjects not in a flattering light, but in the light that they are destined to have shone upon them. Like the characters in his plays, these people are flawed and real.From an avid reader of short fiction, Rest Area is definitely worth picking up. The stories are very smart without falling into the esoteric category that kills so many other collections. A perfect balance of themes and characters ensures that the reader is captivated from first to last pages. The stories are jewels: short and concise; not a wasted word.An excellent debut for a promising young writer.

Perfect for the subway

If you want a good book for reading on the subway, this is it. the stories are the perfect length for your daily commute (depending on how far away you live from work).Also, they're probably too scary to read alone.

Creative, exciting and intense

Great work...I've seen Clay's plays in NY and am touched by the marriage of creativity, humor and other emotions. A strong recommendation for a discerning reader.