"Me and Miss Mandible" by Donald Barthelme

In writing my thoughts on structure this Wednesday, I remembered Donald Barthelme and all the good old times we used to have together. By this, I mean that I in no way have ever been in the man's presence and really have no relationship with him.

Before I was ever an English major, I picked up "50 Stories" (one of his story collections) and was absolutely delighted by them. That's evidence to me that his work can be read and enjoyed without the typical required literary information and appreciation that most short stories seem to ask for.

In short, his stories are just ridiculous. But they're very aware of their own ridiculousness, and maybe could be characterized as satirical, and most certainly have been characterized as postmodern. But. Those are the labels that we're trying to avoid in the fear that those labels become engrained in our definitions of "short stories that don't suck." Really, I think that an in-depth, analytical reading of Barthelme ruins what Barthelme is best at: delighting the reader.

"Me and Miss Mandible" is at once hilarious and thought-provoking for its deliberate cleverness, and you don't need the lens of an English major to appreciate him. Barthelme convinces me that short stories do not have to dwell in the realm of Divorces That Take Place In New York that the genre seems so preoccupied with lately. And thank goodness.

Please note, though, that I select "Me and Miss Mandible" not just as a foil to what I see as an unfortunately dominant type of modern short story. As humorous or ridiculous as his stories get, you find that they still pack some real seriousness to them. They're a testament to the role of humor in real life, I think. Which is a topic for another day.