A Collection of Short Fiction
Ordinary Reckonings
Stories of Choice, Circumstance, and Consequence
Across Appalachia, ordinary lives turn on quiet moments of choice, circumstance, and consequence. Ordinary Reckonings is a collection of stories about the people who live here – men and women confronting what life has handed them, and what comes next.
About Ordinary Reckonings
Ordinary Reckonings brings together stories of men and women whose lives are shaped by work and family, loyalty and obligation, loss and survival. Some make deliberate choices. Others are carried by custom, necessity, fear, or simply failing to choose. The consequences may be immediate, or the may take years to reveal themselves.
Moving across generations – from mountain towns and farms to mines, institutions, and family homes – these stories are rooted in the communites, landscapes, and history of Appalachia. They explore the smaller decisions and unexpected turns that accumulate into something lasting, showing how ordinary lives acquire their weight.
Inside the Stories
A glimpse at four of the twelve stories in the collection
A Note on These Stories
There’s something about sitting down with people and giving them time to tell you who they are. Maybe it happens on a front porch, on a city bench, or in the pages of a book. Stay awhile and listen, and a story begins to unfold.
The stories in this collection aren’t meant to sum up a way of life or turn Appalachia into some grand, sweeping fable. They’re about ordinary people trying to figure out what comes next when the ground shifts beneath their feet. Some lived decades ago; others might be people we pass in town tomorrow. Each is making sense of a particular corner of the world with what circumstance, experience, and temperament has given them.
You may recognize some of these people. Others may seem unfamiliar at first. Either way, I hope you’ll sit with them for a while. Listen to what they say—and sometimes to what they don’t. Their reckonings belong to them, but perhaps something in them will belong to you, too.
About the Author
Wayne Jordan is a writer and storyteller based in Galax, Virginia. His family’s roots in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina reach back more than two centuries. The author of four previous books, he has written for newspapers, magazine, and regional publications. Ordinary Reckonings is his first collection of short fiction.
Author Appearances & Programs
Wayne is available for selected library, museum, historical society, civic, tourism, and community programs throughout the region. If You’d like to discuss a program for your audience, get in touch.