Dying Light: And Other Stories

Dying Light is a fabulous collection. "The Rites of Love," "Salvage," "The Rapist," and the title story are the standouts, but every story demands attention and acclaim. Hays' skill, empathy, and humanity radiate in every story (even "Ackerman In Eden," the collection's only misfire). For this reason, the Washington Post's review is especially baffling. The reviewer clearly can't fault the story on its literary merits. So instead they contruct their review around a silly strawman argument about Hays and religion. The reviewer either has a preset agenda or a personal ax to grind with the author. In any case, ignore the review and read the book for yourself. You will not be disappointed.

Donald Hays is an excellent writer who is able to capture emotional connections between people in a perceptive and superbly nuanced manner. This latest collection of short stories is award winning material. I enjoyed reading the collection very much and highly recommend the book.

These stories jumped off the page toward my heart. Donald Hays is a superb storyteller.

Well-written short story collections breed adjectives, as one is compelled to describe them, to give shape and substance to the author's intent. In this particular collection, the adjectives flow freely, stimulated by the author's creativity. Hays captures people in moments of decision, those memorable occasions when life can be radically altered by precipitous action. Choosing pivotal moments to illustrate his character's lives, Dying Light and Other Stories reminds me of Christopher Coake's excellent short stories in We're in Trouble, where death is the centerpiece. Hays expands on this theme, holding fast to the truths uncovered by extremity, a series of personal epiphanies. Vacillating between drama, irony and black humor, Hays has a real talent for dialog and truthful plotting, the characters as quirky as family members. It is a rare pleasure to dive into each new tale, never knowing what to expect from this astute author. "Rites of Love" speaks of loss and personal redemption, a woman coming to terms with the loss of her son by caring for her first love, a man crippled in a high school football accident. She seeks to resolve a spiritual dilemma, afraid that "God is either an absence or an assassination" and her husband's extraordinary generosity allows this balm to her aching heart. In contrast, "Private Dance" deals with the misanthropic adventures of a stubborn man's quick descent into personal and professional ruin, a coach turning his wife's betrayal into an odyssey of self-destruction. In a reflection of reality, one man's life experience is reduced to grist for a writer ("Material"). Each story is unique, a changing perspective that allows insights into a myriad of human behaviors. Hay's southern roots are evident, his character's voices ringing with accented phrases and subtle regional mannerisms, adding dimension, although all the stories take place in the murky and ruthless territory of the human heart and cover the gamut of emotions, loneliness, despair, acceptance and redemption. These finely nuanced characters find themselves in universal situations that call for more than ordinary responses. Compassionate and beautifully plotted, this collection is peopled with all manner of individuals, cantankerous, stubborn, brutally honest, given to examination of the bittersweet events that shape their lives. Rich and filling, Hays' writing is a feast of infinite variety, trenchant observations combined with deeply satisfying prose, a series of confrontations by brave souls with nothing left to lose. Luan Gaines/2005.