Hudson Valley Bookshelf
A Chorus out of the Chatter
by Cindy A. Reid

Review of Prima Materia, Volume 1, Spring 2002:Truth X 24, Short Fiction by Writers From the Hudson Valley, New York. Edited by Brent Robison, Mt Tremper: Bliss Plot Press 2002 $11.95.

The debut issue of Prima Materia, a new literary journal, features short fiction from twenty-four Hudson Valley writers. These are not writings about the Hudson Valley but rather of the Hudson Valley, according to editor Brent Robison. The writers are a diverse lot, some have been previously published or come from a professional literary background, and others are seeing print for the first time. Let me say right here that anyone who has the courage to write and publish original fiction, especially the demanding form of short story, deserves our respect and applause simply for their effort. Good writing is harder to do than it looks.

Having said that, I liked some of the stories better than others but not all of the entries are "stories" in the traditional sense. Some are fragments or very short two or three page writings. Of the longer stories, Dakota Lane's "Sleeping with Jack", Kate Schapira's "All Saints" and "Quitting" by Lannette Fisher-Hertz are real standouts.

"All Saints" by Kate Schapira was a good choice for the opening story in the book. The story takes place on Halloween and Schapira evokes spookiness without plugging in the usual cliches. A well-told story about accidents and prison, guilt and ghosts, it takes place in Oneonta, where I lived briefly, and she nails down the town and its residents quite satisfactorily.

Dakota Lane's description of an unhappy couple is original, dryly funny and real enough to cause an uncomfortable squirm to anyone who has ever held up their end of a long-term relationship. For example, " Our friends no longer liked us because all we could talk about were the minute details of our conflicts. We had become, as Jack told one of our therapists, a bad legend around town".

Lannette Fisher-Hertz writes about long-term relationships too, in "Quitting," her story about two marriages. The title refers to cigarettes, and they represent another kind of destructive yet longed for vice, adultery. It was refreshing to read women discussing sex and their own sexuality that sounded closer to real conversations than most fiction, and certainly all of television or film.

Fifteen of the twenty-four contributors are women and the editor addresses the predominance of females voices in his introduction. " A chorus arose out of the chatter. It is the voice of a young woman out on her own, making her way in a difficult world. There are courage and humor, honesty and gentleness; there is a bittersweet wisdom in this chorus of harmonizing voices. This is music the world needs to hear".

But Prima Materia has enough diversity to satisfy any reader. There are male voices too, and although the quality and format of the contributions may vary, it is a satisfying volume. I enjoyed reading the short biographies of the contributors and I was struck by how I would not have been able to connect the writer with their story based on their biographical information alone. The Hudson Valley has always attracted creative people and this collection proves again that there is no lack of talent working here today.

Brent Robison is a writer, photographer and video producer in addition to journal editor and lives in the Catskills. Writers who appear in Prima Materia can be heard reading from their work at several locations in the Hudson Valley during the year.

Cindy A. Reid works for the Dutchess County Community Action Agency in Poughkeepsie and lives in Red Hook.

From Under the Ice
by Peter Bulkeley

Review of Crush Depth,by Joe Buff, New York: William Morrow, October 2002. Hardcover, 464 pages. $24.95.

The year is 2011 when the Boer-Axis is terrorizing the world with many submarines and threats of atomic warfare. Ships of all countries are attacked, destroying commerce everywhere.

The Axis has a super submarine loaded with conventional and atomic torpedoes, with a captain out to conquer the world. The United States, having lost prestige before most countries, also has a super submarine. It must find and destroy the enemy sub. Several encounters leave you cringing along with the crews as atomic torpedoes almost send one or the other sub to the bottom. You're not certain which sub will win. Finally deep in under the Antarctic ice shelf both captains, using all their resources and trickery, have the final showdown and one emerges from under the ice, the winner.

This is a very enjoyable book. Tip: Study the glossary before reading!

Joe Buff is a Life Member of the Naval Submarine League. He lives in Milan. He will be signing copies of Crush Depth at the Merritt Bookstore on October 19th.

Peter Bulkely flew more than fifty bombing missions during World War II. He lives in Upper Red Hook in the 1733 Heermance farmhouse.

Re-discover Your Village

Red Hook's Egbert Benson Historical Society, under the leadership of Clare O'Neill Carr, has just released a pair of beautifully illustrated, informative "walking guides" to the town's two villages, Red Hook and Tivoli. Each brochure includes a map, historical photos, and background information on each of thirty-odd notable buildings, monuments and locales. Thanks to the villages, the town, the Red Hook Chamber of Commerce, and a grant from Furthermore, the guides are free for the taking. They can be found at the town and village halls, the information booth in Red Hook, the Montgomery Place gift shop, B&Bs, and other appropriate locations.