Michael Fedo’s Art’s Place: Stories and Diversions is a short story collection. The 27 stories are mainly light-hearted and satirical and tackle a whole range of topics. From a chance meeting between Jesse and Henry James to the titular Art’s Place, a bar where the locals discuss art, all the stories have their own unique sense of humor. The stories are incredibly short and sweet. Fedo jumps straight into the narrative and takes the reader along with him, with the pace remaining fast throughout. This helps to keep the reader enticed but also allows for surprises in the narratives. Instead of being bogged down with information regarding this bizarre scenario, you are thrust into the middle of the action and kept enraptured. Another aspect I admired was Fedo’s ability to flit between narrative styles. In Art’s Place, there is a mixture of the first and third person, which again stops the collection from being staid.

In Art’s Place, Fedo plays with our expectations and on many occasions subverts them. This play on society makes the collection really fun and refreshing, never completely predictable. An excellent example of this is the story, ‘The Ladies of West Rarington Falls Get Down’ which sees an increasingly exasperated blues singer attend a meeting of a group of dowagers who seem to have little knowledge of the musical style. Not only does Fedo nail the voices of both the singer and the ladies, but the narrative also appears as a not-so-subtle dig at class. Despite being well-intentioned, the women never grasp what they’re being told about expressing pain through music. That disconnect points to the wider disconnection between classes in society. So, despite the silly premises of the stories, many of them also challenge and mock aspects that we will recognize. Overall, Art’s Place is an enjoyable, light-hearted read. It is perfect for those wanting a pick-me-up or a less taxing read. The fast-paced, unique narratives help to make the collection as a whole very engaging, plus the plots are incredibly imaginative. A collection that you can dip in and out of to escape this world and abandon worries for a short time.