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Sap Rising: a collection of short stories

© Walter Benefield

Christine Lincoln's life is as interesting if not more than any fiction story. A 34 year old single parent, who was the 2000 Sophie Kerr prize winner. The largest literary undergraduate prize in the U.S. given annually to the graduating senior whom demonstrates the greatest promise for future success in literature.

"Sap Rising" by Christine Lincoln was her winning submission and was published in 2001. A collection of short stories that center around a community and its young black residents. Lincoln cites influences from Toni Morrison to William Faulkner and said that stories from her grandma inspired her to become a storyteller herself.

Good Short stories manage to leave an impression despite their brevity, "Sap Rising" is such a collection. Set in a fictional community, Grandville, were rural folks live complex lives under the guise of outwardly simple lives. All the stories although not directly related maintain a subtle connection to each other, giving the collection its fluidity.

Pain, struggle, loss and grief flow throughout the characters of the stories of Sap rising, with Pontella Pinder and Hiron Fuller rising to the top. Pontella Pinder in "A Hook Will Sometimes Keep You" comes face to face with the haunting reality that her mother, Ebbie had abandoned her as a baby. Later in the collection the last story in fact, Ebbie's story is told and as in real life what we see is not always the whole story. These two stories are just one of a couple of examples of a panoramic views of the lives people that "Sap Rising" presents. Hiron Fuller’s eldest daughter who never really knew him, mourns him in “Acorn Pipes” and then later in “A very Close Conspiracy” Hiron Fuller gives the account of his death. Again it’s revealed that lingering beyond the surface is another version of the story. These stories along with the intertwined lives of the people of Grandville are the strength of the collection. In addition to these stories there are others that deal with infidelity, coming of age and physical and mental abuse. The cast characters also include Sonny, the boy who has visions after as he listens to stories about Af-free-ka. And there is Boag, a boy who is exposed to the weakness of the adults in his life.

In Christine Lincoln's poetic mind the collection of twelve stories make an excellent debut. The depth in which ”Sap Rising” dips into the experiences of humans is impression. After reading "Sap Rising" I will not be as quick to make a judgment on the lives of outwardly simple folks, after all you never really know what's under the surface.