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  • Delivering on the promise of his wonderfully imaginative collection, Adult Teeth (2018), Wilson presents a jaunty, magical realist tale told in the captivating if morally dubious voice of Lee Hubbs, a Georgia produce store owner. Married into wealth, cheating on his wife, drinking too much, and largely avoiding his children, Lee is an antihero (although he does dutifully visit his mother, who has dementia) whose brash self-confidence is abruptly shaken when he runs over and kills one of his fellow bar patrons. However, as the victim is one of the unfortunate people who have turned into a human-quail hybrid regarded by many as lesser humans, Lee’s only friend, a cop, can help Lee conceal his crime. Shaken by guilt and with a bizarre sore on his head that will not go away, he traverses his corner of Georgia, trying to atone for his actions. Reminiscent of Chris Bachelder’s fun satires, with the human-quail hybrids providing a Lynchian twist, this is an engaging tale of self-realization as Lee’s perception of the world and himself is turned upside down.
    — Alexander Moran
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  • Set in diverse locations, including Chicago, Georgia, and Florida, Wilson’s stories offer a series of snapshots of almost every moment of adult life, from high-school graduation to retirement. Set in the humdrum worlds of parks, offices, and family homes, each story turns on snap decisions by characters who are bored, restless, or scared. The opening story, “Welcome to Gorilla City,” initially focuses on a small act of graffiti but ends up enveloping topics of national relevance, namely, immigration and inherited wealth. Similarly, the seemingly amusing premise of a wife trying to catch her husband with a sex doll in “Trash Days” becomes a thoughtful exploration of love, marriage, and our obsession with image. The title story delicately captures the struggles of a couple after a miscarriage. In the final story, “Florida Power and Light,” a Kafkaesque twist demonstrates Wilson’s willingness to embrace the absurd. Like Lorrie Moore’s and Bobbie Ann Mason’s short fiction, Wilson’s stories display subtle humor and a deft ear for dialogue, making for a wonderfully varied and enjoyable debut collection.

    — Alexander Moran

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