The stories in Jerry Levy’s collection, Urban Legend, are at times both eloquent and graceful, but more often his writing comes off as tough-minded and arresting. His relentless pursuit to get inside the heads of his characters gives his work a psychological edge.
There is the man who, devastated by the death of his fiance, enlists the aid of a rabbi schooled in Kaballah to help him erect a golem in her image; a woman who, unable to find work with her liberal arts degree, decides to rob banks; a woman who slowly drives her manipulating boyfriend mad, or the sculptress about to commit suicide who rescues a cat from a busy highway and instantly gains notoriety. Or, as in “Stolen Words” a man called to clean up the apartment of a woman he barely knew, discovers a treasure trove of unpublished literary works that he hopes will send him on the road to fame, and in “The Scarf” as a man with high aesthetic values, down on his luck, steals an expensive scarf from a law firm and sets out to find the owner.
Always, Levy’s writing is smart and clear, driving his stories ahead with well-paced action and a penchant for capturing the aggressive vigour of people engaged in emotional havoc.
Urban Legend
Publisher Note
Urban Legend, a street-smart and contemporary collection, is comprised of gritty, urban tales about troubled individuals attempting to mitigate loss by searching for their own personal antidote. These city-centric stories encompass a wide variety of cultures, characters from varying social strata, and earnest examinations of how individuals react when forced out of their comfort zone.
In Paris is a Woman, we meet a man hoping that by escaping to liberating Paris, he will heal his uncontrollable emotions; however, he soon finds that it is not that easy to run away from your own heart and mind. The Golem of New York features personal devastation that leads to utter desperation and fascinating esoteric experimentation. In Stolen Words, the protagonist uncovers a trove of unpublished literary works that he hopes will result in fame and stolen fortune. Phoenix Rising introduces a deeply-troubled sculptress and a cat that manages to prevent her suicide and subsequently bestow instant noteriety upon her.
Jerry Levy’ smart and clear stories are driven by well-paced action and an inherent gift for capturing the aggressive vigour of people in the midst of serious emotional upheaval. Urban Legend is filled with predominantly tough-minded and arresting prose but Levy’s writing also provides moments of eloquence and grace. His depiction of place is vivid and lends a realism and clarity to the collection. Levy’s relentless pursuit to delve inside the minds of his characters gives these stories a psychologically intense, compelling edge which, in addition to the emotional depth created by the inclusion of a wealth of personal details, raises Levy’s characters from the page and places them firmly in the mind of the reader.
