Odd Ducks: Stories

This debut collection of nine humorous stories, set in and around Kansas City from the 1950s to the 2000s, often depict adults awkwardly mentoring talented young people, whether in a community garden, a library, or in one-on-one advice. Other characters feel like outsiders in their own neighborhoods or suddenly become outsiders when straying into unfamiliar places.

Pat Lawson's fine new collection, Odd Ducks, reminds us that engaging
stories can be found anywhere, including the modest households of
both Kansas Cities. Among her subjects are adolescents bemused
by the odd rituals of their parents; school librarians beguiled by
a charming student; and Latino kindergartners who show more
imagination than their teachers. Then there are the well-meaning
neighbors who learn the singular lesson--running like a leitmotif
through the collection--that no good deed goes unpunished.
--Catherine Browder, Now We Can All Go Home

In this funny and touching book, Patricia Lawson takes the reader
on a deceptively simple journey into the jagged minds and hearts of
characters who struggle to be or at least seem other than they are.
Odd Ducks is alive with characters who endure, who persist. Yes, they
are lonely and unsure, and yes, they are desperate for connections
that will not come. And yes, they take many wrong turns. But their
strengths are evident, their goodness and resolve never missing for
long, and though their paths are not direct, they are true.
--Mary Troy, Beauties

Pat Lawson's Odd Ducks is a quietly intense collection. The stories
are especially profound in dealing with states of vulnerability--a
middle-aged divorcee, recently out of the closet, stumbles
to find a place for himself in a new neighborhood; a
disadvantaged child begins to understand how the odds will
be stacked against him; a young man catches a glimpse of a
life he desires but can never have. Though the stories occur
in the context of the urban Midwest, Lawson's range of
empathy will engage all readers. She gives us stories that
feel true and stick to the bones.
--Brian Shawver, Aftermath

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: BkMk Press of the University of Missouri-Kans
Published: 10/20/2020
ISBN: 9781943491230
Pages: 202
Weight: 0.58lbs
Size: 8.50h x 5.51w x 0.47d