Amy Hempel

Amy Hempel's story, “In the cemetery where Al Jolson is buried”, seemed very unique and refreshing for a few different reasons. First of all, I appreciated very much the way it was told. It was completely un-revealing to the reader but not in any way that complicated or confusing and by the end of the story I knew pretty much everything I needed to know about their relationship without being told much. Like the gestures articles that we read, sometimes more is less and Hemple seems to be a master of using the readers own implications to make the story more readable and realistic.

The other thing I really enjoyed about the story was the very beginning, the idea of “useful things that I wont mind forgetting”. I liked this because it was a kind of odd juxtaposition on real life. No one asks to hear random animal facts but the first thing I do after popping open my Snapple is look for the weight of a humming birds bones or how long penguins can breath underwater. This also worked to let the reader know immediately what kind of character this person was, which ties back into saying things without actually saying them.

Overall, it was a quick and easy read but something I wont soon forget for its eccentric characters and interesting style.