Fire Year (Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction)
Friedman’s adept first story collection, winner of the Mary McCarthy Prize, evokes several weighty themes—religion, sexuality, coming-of-age—while remaining grounded in the everyday culture and communities of its characters, many of whom find themselves on the outside looking in. “Reunion” follows the narrator, gay New Yorker Edward, as he returns to Savannah for his 25-year high-school reunion, where he struggles to feel any connection with his brother while being pursued by a former classmate. In “All the World’s a Field,” Miriam’s adult son, with whom she lives, demands that she no longer speak Yiddish, leading her into a self-imposed code of silence. The standout, “There’s Hope for Us All,” follows Jon, an assistant curator at an art gallery in Atlanta, who is tasked with editing a catalog essay about an enigmatic, 500-year-old Italian painting. His work is put into flux when his boyfriend unwittingly uncovers a surprising discovery that challenges years of critique as well as their relationship. In a collection that marks its own territory, Friedman’s seven tales offer a compelling exploration into shifting social norms. --Leah Strauss