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REPLAYS is Gary Hawthorn's first book of short stories.
Gary began writing as sports editor of his high school paper. His coverage of team sports got him hired by the Trentonian, Trenton Times, and Philadelphia Inquirer. The Trenton Times paid him by the column inch which led to temporary verbosity, soon corrected by Rule 17 of The Elements of Style.
Hawthorn earned graduate degrees from Drexel, Harvard, and MIT. As a Drexel undergrad, Hawthorn ditched chemical engineering for the humanities program—to bring the right and left sides of his brains into a better balance. His switch to literature included a heavy focus on technical and creative writing.
Gary worked in state, federal, and international agencies on transportation and environmental issues as an employee and consultant. At the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, he wrote statutes, regulations, policies, and guidance documents.
At the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris, Hawthorn conducted and wrote case studies in cities all over Europe—cities that had tamed vehicle use in favor of pedestrians and the environment.
As a consultant, he wrote newsletters for federal, state, and local agencies and organizations. He translated complicated statutes, regulations, and policies into plain English, stripped of bureaucratese. The strict page limits sharpened his skills of triage.
Gary lives with his wife Lucille in Cape May, New Jersey. At Jersey's southernmost tip—Exit 0 on the Garden State Parkway. Cape May is home because it’s unlike everywhere else—a magical place in ways that matter most.
Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
Replays: Short Stories by a Jersey Guy by Gary Hawthorn takes readers on a captivating journey through New Jersey's suburban landscape. This collection of stories centered around life in suburban Trenton and its surroundings captures the essence of everyday life through a lens of humor, sarcasm, and genuine emotion. Hawthorn's dialogue-driven narratives explore the complexities of friendship, the quirks of suburban life, and the small moments that make life meaningful. Each story contributes to a larger tapestry of New Jersey life, creating an anthology that celebrates both the unique character of the Garden State and the universal experiences that connect us all.
Author Gary Hawthorn demonstrates a real knack for capturing authentic voices and memorable characters in this brilliant collection of tales. His mix of humor and heart perfectly balances laugh-out-loud moments with touching insights. I was completely drawn into each story's world where everything has a similar feel, but there's always something new and unexpected to take the next story up a level. A particular favorite was 'Plain Is Good' because I just loved the sharp, dry humor infused into DP Ski and how he jabbed at our narrator. The way Hawthorn uses dialogue to bring his characters to life is so engaging, while his attention to local detail creates a vivid sense of place that makes New Jersey feel like a character in the collection. A subtly placed but very profound sense of meaning in these everyday moments shows a deep understanding of human nature. What particularly impressed me was how Hawthorn managed to make each story feel both uniquely local to NJ and universally relatable in the people and the action taking place. Overall, I recommend Replays: Short Stories by a Jersey Guy to readers who appreciate authentic storytelling that finds extraordinary meaning in ordinary lives.
