CLIFFORD GARSTANG
Writing, Reading, Editing
Perpetual Folly (blog)
Literary Magazine Ranking
2020 Literary Magazine Rankings
2020 Literary Magazine Ranking–Fiction
2020 Literary Magazine Ranking–Poetry
2020 Literary Magazine Ranking–Non-Fiction
2019 Literary Magazine Ranking — Nonfiction
2019 Literary Magazine Ranking — Fiction
2019 Literary Magazine Ranking — Poetry
2018 Literary Magazine Ranking Overview
2017 Perpetual Folly Literary Magazine Ranking — Overview
2016 Pushcart Prize Literary Magazine Rankings — Overview
2016 Reading
New Yorker Commentaries
New Yorker 2015
The Shaman of Turtle Valley
What the Zhang Boys Know
In an Uncharted Country
Everywhere Stories: Short Fiction from a Small Planet — Volume I
Everywhere Stories: Short Fiction from a Small Planet — Volume II
Everywhere Stories: Short Fiction from a Small Planet — Volume III
2014 Reading: The Car Thief by Theodore Weesner
August 5, 2014 Cliff 2 Comments
The Car Thief by Theodore Weesner
Astor & Blue Editions
The Car Thief, republished as an eBook in 2012 by Astor & Blue and now available in paperback also, was Theodore Weesner's first novel, originally published by Random House in 1972. Weesner, a graduate of the Iowa Writers Workshop, went on to publish several more novels and a collection of short stories and is said to be, though nearing 80, working on a memoir and a new novel.
The book tells the story of young Alex Housman, in 1959, in Detroit, a sixteen-year-old car thief. He is driven to steal—but not to steal, exactly, Alex is a joy-rider—out of boredom. He lives with his alcoholic father, has memories of being abandoned by his mother and separated from his younger brother, is ashamed of the squalor in which he now lives. He's a smart kid, but doesn't apply himself in school. But, of course, getting caught is the best thing that could happen to him, and after a stay in a juvenile detention center he's on his way to rehabilitation. He's seen what the future can be, and he wants no part of it. It's a fragile recovery, though, with pitfalls and setbacks. The great tension of the novel is the reader's fear that Alex will make a mistake and backslide, and his journey unfolds against the drama of life in his dysfunctional family.
It's a coming-of-age story, one that is based closely on Weesner's own life. The biographical note on the author tells us that his home life was similar to Alex's and, like Alex, he was charged with car theft as a teen. The coming-of-age genre refuses, unfortunately, to go away, and so it's hard to imagine that readers today will care much about Alex and his 1959 problems. We've got more than enough contemporary coming-of-age stories as it is, and way bigger problems.
Still, it's a compelling read. Alex is a troubled kid, and if we don't exactly like him, it's not hard to sympathize. If he doesn't behave well toward girls—and he doesn't—he hasn't had very good role models. His father is a drunk and his mother disappeared years earlier, resurfacing only long enough to take her younger son away. And if he doesn't make very good choices, it's because he gets no guidance. Alex is left to fend for himself most of the time—cooking, laundry, house cleaning—and school doesn't interest him at all.
Fortunately, though, after his arrest, he is aided by two men who understand where he's coming from. Without them, Alex's life would take one tragic turn after another. That, maybe, is the message here. You can't expect a kid to grow up and get it right without someone showing the way. In this case, it's Mr. Kelly, who runs the juvenile detention center, and Mr. Quinn, his probation officer and counselor. From them he gets discipline and advice. In them he sees men who have come from similar backgrounds who have risen above their youthful mistakes. He sees that he doesn't have to end up like his father.
We can't expect kids to figure everything out by themselves, the book appears to be saying. We have to show them the way.
Posted in: 2014 Reading Filed under: Theodore Weesner
← Josh Weil at WriterHouse
Heifetz International Music Institute at Mary Baldwin College →
2 thoughts on "2014 Reading: The Car Thief by Theodore Weesner"
sharon McCrory says:
Flint, not Detroit. Car Thief takes place in FLINT.
I guess you're right. I don't remember Flint being named, but I now see a reference to the Thumb. Thanks for the correction.
(Have you written to correct Amazon, too? From the book description on their website: "Theodore Weesner's modern American classic is now re-launched for a new generation of readers to discover.
It's 1959. Sixteen year-old Alex Housman has just stolen his fourteenth car and frankly doesn't know why. His divorced, working class father grinds out the night shift at the local Chevy Plant in Detroit, looking forward . . .")
Clifford Garstang is a fiction writer and former international lawyer. His first novel, THE SHAMAN OF TURTLE VALLEY, was published in May 2019. His novel in stories, WHAT THE ZHANG BOYS KNOW, won the Library of Virginia Literary Award for Fiction. He is also the author of a story collection, IN AN UNCHARTED COUNTRY, and the editor of three anthologies, EVERYWHERE STORIES: SHORT FICTION FROM A SMALL PLANET, Volumes I, II, and III.
Cliff's Upcoming Events
Reading at Scuppernong Books
Monday, 17 February 2020 19:00
Cliff will be reading from his latest novel, The Shaman of Turtle Valley, at Scuppernong Books in Greensboro NC.
Reading at Flyleaf Books
Cliff will be reading from his latest work and will be in conversation with Marjorie Hudson at Flyleaf Books in Chapel H
@ Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill, NC
Reading at Country Bookshop, Southern Pines NC
Cliff will be giving a reading and signing books at The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines NC
@ Country Bookshop, Southern Pines NC
Archives Select Month January 2020 (2) December 2019 (8) November 2019 (1) October 2019 (4) September 2019 (5) August 2019 (2) July 2019 (2) June 2019 (5) May 2019 (7) April 2019 (4) March 2019 (2) February 2019 (4) January 2019 (8) December 2018 (3) November 2018 (11) October 2018 (4) September 2018 (4) August 2018 (22) July 2018 (2) May 2018 (6) April 2018 (1) March 2018 (2) February 2018 (6) January 2018 (4) December 2017 (6) November 2017 (12) October 2017 (6) August 2017 (1) May 2017 (2) March 2017 (2) February 2017 (1) January 2017 (7) December 2016 (25) November 2016 (9) September 2016 (1) August 2016 (1) April 2016 (2) March 2016 (13) February 2016 (9) January 2016 (25) December 2015 (4) November 2015 (4) October 2015 (7) September 2015 (2) August 2015 (2) July 2015 (4) June 2015 (1) May 2015 (4) April 2015 (7) March 2015 (9) February 2015 (21) January 2015 (35) December 2014 (5) November 2014 (6) October 2014 (6) September 2014 (12) August 2014 (11) July 2014 (18) June 2014 (7) May 2014 (3) April 2014 (8) February 2014 (4) January 2014 (16) December 2013 (8) November 2013 (12) October 2013 (16) September 2013 (22) August 2013 (24) July 2013 (21) June 2013 (20) May 2013 (15) April 2013 (23) March 2013 (17) February 2013 (21) January 2013 (25) December 2012 (16) November 2012 (6) October 2012 (28) September 2012 (18) August 2012 (21) July 2012 (11) June 2012 (28) May 2012 (9) April 2012 (17) March 2012 (23) February 2012 (20) January 2012 (16) December 2011 (16) November 2011 (16) October 2011 (13) September 2011 (20) August 2011 (29) July 2011 (27) June 2011 (22) May 2011 (30) April 2011 (28) March 2011 (17) February 2011 (10) January 2011 (12) December 2010 (22) November 2010 (13) October 2010 (34) September 2010 (19) August 2010 (20) July 2010 (29) June 2010 (32) May 2010 (31) April 2010 (27) March 2010 (30) February 2010 (25) January 2010 (34) December 2009 (38) November 2009 (36) October 2009 (32) September 2009 (27) August 2009 (30) July 2009 (38) June 2009 (28) May 2009 (40) April 2009 (43) March 2009 (36) February 2009 (37) January 2009 (48) December 2008 (55) November 2008 (32) October 2008 (33) September 2008 (28) August 2008 (44) July 2008 (42) June 2008 (53) May 2008 (64) April 2008 (42) March 2008 (53) February 2008 (29) January 2008 (37) December 2007 (42) November 2007 (32) October 2007 (37) September 2007 (24) August 2007 (31) July 2007 (29) June 2007 (36) May 2007 (56) April 2007 (43) March 2007 (37) February 2007 (36) January 2007 (37) December 2006 (31) November 2006 (32) October 2006 (30) September 2006 (40) August 2006 (30) July 2006 (36) June 2006 (37) May 2006 (31) April 2006 (39) March 2006 (28) February 2006 (27) January 2006 (37) December 2005 (20) November 2005 (14) October 2005 (6) September 2005 (6) August 2005 (18) July 2005 (10) June 2005 (11) May 2005 (8) April 2005 (27) March 2005 (19) February 2005 (21) January 2005 (24)
Copyright © 2020 CLIFFORD GARSTANG — Stout WordPress theme by GoDaddy