Review: Furrow and Slice by Richard Snodgrass

A remarkably gentle and probing look at seemingly simple, but deeply complex lives in Upper Appalachia, Furrow and Slice by Richard Snodgrass is a brilliantly penned collection of stories.

A fearless kaleidoscope of pastoral life, this collection is special for its unflinching honesty in the face of our collectively unspoken fears. With straightforward language and casual colloquial speech, the collection feels quite pared down at first glance, with the two- or three-page tales reading like parables. However, it quickly becomes apparent that the rich inner lives of each narrative voice are worth slowing down to enjoy every word.

“The Hill Lovers” is a tender tale that says an incredible amount in such a limited space, detailing the emotional turmoil of forbidden connections in an apparently white-picket life. “Straightening Up” is heartrending in an entirely different way, exploring loss from the numb perspective of a fresh widow with eyes on her own mortality. “So It Begins” is a painfully relatable reflection on mortality from a different hilltop of perspective, laced with empathy, pragmatism, and sacrifice. “Like Everybody Else” hits like a fist, a disturbing glance into casual violence and the permanent damage it can wreak.

The photography that punctuates these pages is stark and stunning, providing brief visual glimpses to the world Snodgrass describes so beautifully in his intimate prose. Their placement after the story title suggests a certain atmosphere and stimulates an imagined tale before the first line of prose even begins. At times, the images feel beautifully and intentionally paired, while at others, the juxtaposition is less clear, which is intriguing in itself, driving readers to peer deeper for symbolism, and to read slower and savor. These vignettes of life are themselves textual photographs, snapshots of relationships and emotions – limited exposures to the secrets of these lives.

While some of the book’s themes may feel more appropriate for an older audience, readers of any age will appreciate this fictional – yet seemingly confessional – collection for each story’s emotional intelligence. Snodgrass’s ability to capture vulnerable moments and powerful crossroads of crises is doubly impressive for the characters’ authenticity and the prose’s linguistic economy. The themes beings explored are not easy or comfortable, and like any great piece of writing, this collection demands some level of effort and attention to be fully appreciated, but Snodgrass tackles this often delicate content with compassion, maturity, open-mindedness, and grace.

There are some technical adjustments that could be made, including the pace of certain stories. Leaving a sense of mystery and opacity is valuable, but certain conclusions feel abrupt or poorly wrapped up; given how perfectly crafted and packaged other vignettes are, these weaker examples stand out. There is also the occasional grammatical error that a fine-tooth proof could fix, but the prose is generally clean and clear. On a larger level, some stories don’t seem as essential or insightful, and the collection could be tightened and shortened to make the final distillation even stronger.

Those issues aside, the evocative combination of prose and photography undoubtedly makes Furrow and Slice the author’s most impressive offering to date.