If I Had Two Wings
Stories

I actually started this before learning Kenan had died. What a loss. These are, overall, excellent stories. He has a really unique style that keeps the reader having to pay attention to every subtle twist and turn. I found the first half stronger as well as the Velma Jean Swearington story but these......more

There is some beautifully crafted prose in these stories, and in general, Kenan displays a welcome unpredictability and a keen eye for idiosyncratic details. But too many of these tales wound up feeling like sketches more than complete stories, and I longed for more of an emotional payoff. I admire......more

I went to be last night having read about two-thirds of this collection; I woke up to the startling news that Randall Kenan had died. So I decided to take today to finish reading the collection, which gets stronger as it goes on. I agree with Walter Biggins's review of the collection, that man of th......more

An incredible body of work. The first element I gravitated towards was the writing style. It feels conversational, as if someone is sitting across from you and letting loose. Some of the stories are about ordinary folks and some feel otherworldly. I need to look into Kenan's back catalogue. So much t......more

Anybody who knows me knows I’m a sucker for a good Southern story, and this was a book full of ‘em. These stories had all the elements – lively characters, big ole houses, Baptist churches, a sense of place, catfish, and hogs. It’s such a shame that Randall Kenan passed away; the world is surely mis......more