February 3 - "First Snow"

“First Snow”
by Davy Rothbart
The Lone Surfer of Montana, Kansas (2005)

* * * (Good) Realistic

A crew of inmates working a roadside cleanup detail finds pleasure in the simple act of ostracizing one of their own. When the first fat flakes of snow begin to fall, and the mood of all is tense, a sudden revelation brings about unexpected acts and consequences.

Predictable. That’s the thought that kept running through my mind as I read the story. It would end in one or two ways, and leave little to surprise. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the story – I did. It’s well written and touches upon universal group dynamics (even never having been in prison, I know that weakness is exploited for pleasure when people are placed in groups) and guilt. It’s these common actions and feelings that give stories their power. Beyond the stellar sentences and clever characters, it is the connections we make that fuel stories, and our enjoyment.