May 30 - "Doctor Jack-o'-Lantern"

“Doctor Jack-o’-Lantern”
by Richard Yates
The Collected Stories of Richard Yates (2001)

* * * * * (Excellent) Realistic

Miss Price, a fourth grade teacher, is eager to help her new student, Vincent Sabella, fit in with the class. Each well-intentioned effort only makes the situation worse for Vincent.

These will not be easy stories. It’s not that they are difficult to understand or read – the writing is sharp and clear and accessible – but rather they are painful and sad and ultimately, honest. These are stories of small dreams – often unrealized – with devastating, hope-crushing consequences. A young boy wants to fit in, is provided the opportunity to do so, but then tries too hard and fails. A well-meaning teacher wants to help, but her pity only makes the situation worse. This is the stuff of life, and it’s not neat, and it’s not nice. It’s true.

There’s also a great introduction to this collection by Richard Russo. It provides a nice primer to the themes explored in this collection – and in all of Yates’s work. More than that, it makes you want to read on, eager to enjoy the work to come.