We Were Flying to Chicago (Paperback)

"Kevin Clouther's collection of short stories is further evidence that some of the most interesting literary fiction is coming out of small presses like Black Balloon Publishing."--"BookRiot," Included in "The Great 2014 Short Fiction Round-Up" by David Abrams
"Clouther's first collection of stories shows an 'old' talent--meaning, his sophistication in treatment and technique and his wise observations of the human condition have the feel of an author who has the experience of several story collections behind him."--"Booklist," starred
"Sharply observed."--"Toronto Star"
"The 10 entries in Clouther's debut collection all display a sure-handed grasp of craft. The first and last stories are the best. In the former, the title story, deft and subtle shifts of perspective among a group of young women lead to a well-earned concluding insight. Better still is the emotionally complex final selection, "Puritan Hotel, Barnstable," about two brothers, Michael and Connor, dealing with Connor's cancer treatment."--"Publishers Weekly"
"Kevin Clouther's collection of short stories is further evidence that some of the most interesting literary fiction is coming out of small presses like Black Balloon Publishing. . .I can confidently report that this is writing that's unmistakably alive and feral.. . .Dare I say that I hear Raymond Carver and Ernest Hemingway echoing in my head?"--David Abrams, "The Quivering Pen"
" These] stories develop an intimate voice and the reader can feel characters' hopes and despair. The title story is a particular standout. A group of airplane passengers are stuck on a layover; the story is told from their collective perspective (For no good reason, we were flying to Chicago, it begins). The first-person plural point of view is inviting and fresh."--"Kirkus"
"Kevin Clouther's collection of wry, funny, big-hearted stories is utterly satisfying and unexpected, like scratching an itch you didn't know you had."--Rebecca Johns
"Kevin Clouther's remarkable collection illustrates, page by page, the unique joys of reading short fiction. By turns subversive and poignant, darkly humorous and deeply moving, these ten stories show us the author's expansive range and the heart that drives his imagination. Clouther's beautifully rendered characters will stay with you long after you've finished the book--you'll see them on the street, in the office, in your mirror. "--Bret Anthony Johnston
"The phone rang. I picked it up, and the voice roared into my right ear. I said, What do you want? What do you want? I said this five, six, seven times, and then I hung up the telephone. It didn't ring again, which made me irrationally proud. This ended up depressing me. Nervously, I looked for something to pick up and then drop. I picked up an empty coffee mug, but it felt too light. This wasn't my desk. This wasn't even my building."
In this striking debut collection, characters find unexpected moments of profound insight while navigating the monotony of daily life. Here we find a man who drives to the wrong mountain, a hubcap cleaner who moonlights as a karaoke star, and a deliveryman whose urgent letters have no willing recipient. While lulled by the deceptively simple rhythm of the ordinary, Kevin Clouther offers the instant before momentous change--the view over the cliff, the intake of breath before a decision, a glimpse of stark vulnerability, of faith and hope.
Kevin Clouther was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and grew up on Cape Cod and in south Florida. He holds degrees from the University of Virginia and Iowa Writers' Workshop, where he completed his thesis under Marilynne Robinson. He teaches creative writing at Stony Brook University, where he coordinates the program in writing and reading series, and at Johns Hopkins. He lives in Floral Park, New York.