If you like the short fiction of Richard Ford--and I do--then check out, at The New Yorker Blog, Jon Michaud on "Richard Ford's Fathers and Sons." His observation concerning the number of stories announcing, in their first sentences, "fractured families and tense father-son relationships" is so simple and so right that you feel a little mad about not having noticed it yourself--like why did it take Kittredge to set out how some of the Canterbury pilgrims, in the tales they tell, are jousting with one another regarding opposing views of marriage?
In my post on "Rock Springs," I mentioned that you can read some of Ford's stories online, and I linked to "Leaving for Kenosha." Michaud links to three more stories--the ones whose openings he quotes to marshal an argument--although by clicking them you will come face to face with The New Yorker's subscriber wall. My advice is to take the advice of W. C. Fields, who said he had saved a lot of time by determining always to give in immediately to temptation. Also, by subscribing you'll be able to read Lorrie Moore's review of Canada, Ford's new novel. The New Yorker is easily the best "general interest magazine" published in the United States. It took me about three hours to write this post, because in trying to relocate the Michaud post on Ford I was diverted by around thirty other interesting things to read.
