Memorandum from the Iowa Cloud Appreciation Society
A Novel
by Joseph G. Peterson
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Pub Date Nov 04 2022 | Archive Date Nov 04 2022
University of Iowa Press | University Of Iowa Press
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Description
Stuck in an airport because of blizzard conditions, and packed into a crowded terminal with other travelers, Moore has come to believe that his life is not worth reporting about because it has largely been a life lived without incident. However, chance encounters with a yoga instructor, a man traveling to bury his mother, and an enigmatic woodsman reawaken long dormant emotions about his father’s suicide and cause Jim to newly reflect on his own life and on a memorandum that he later discovered in his deceased father’s papers, which lists all the names of the clouds, and which Jim now, from time to time, recants as if it were his own private kaddish to memorialize his lost father.
Like the pilgrims in Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales who pass the time telling stories while stranded in the Tabard Inn, Memorandum from the Iowa Cloud Appreciation Society tells the tale of a traveling salesman and what really happened over the course of his forty- six years.
Advance Praise
“For years now, Joe Peterson has been one of our—Chicago’s and the planet’s—most inventive and intriguing writers. In his latest, he soars even higher, providing a captivating tale filled with narrative power, artful observations, and unforgettable characters.”—Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune/WGN radio
“Joseph Peterson’s Memorandum is a wonder: a bold and engaging meditation on this mortal coil, by turns hilarious and heartbreaking, encompassing a lifetime in miniature. Snow-stranded salesman Jim Moore is a contemporary Willy Loman at odds with much of the modern world. But instead of despair he finds hope, humor, and redemption in the explorations of the mind. For a story that dwells within the ironic stasis of airport travel, the narrative’s propulsive momentum whisks the reader toward its profound conclusion.”—Darrin Doyle, author, The Beast in Aisle 34
“If I were moored to an airport chair at the gate on account of a snowstorm, Memorandum from the Iowa Cloud Appreciation Society is the book I’d want in my hands. What starts as a cry against the inhumanity of technology, our callous treatment of the environment, and the soul-crushing indignities of late-stage capitalism shifts and reshapes into a meditation on our own responsibilities in creating our inner schlemiels, that part of us that insists on looking inside and not liking what we see. In fresh, spirited prose, Joseph Peterson deftly depicts the full and often uproariously sad life of Jim Moore, a charming, lively, and truly memorable everyman. Spoiler alert: After recapping every cloud, Peterson leaves us with a stark sun in a clear blue sky that has illuminated our souls.”—Avner Landes, author, Meiselman: The Lean Years
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781609388775 |
| PRICE | $19.00 (USD) |
| PAGES | 190 |
Featured Reviews
Natalie Z, Reviewer
At the first page this book drew me in. This was more of an emotional book than I first anticipated, but enjoyable none the less. I would recommend to anyone who wants to read a real feeling novel.
Paul V, Reviewer
I can clearly see the author's talent here thru very good writing. This is book I typically wouldn't pick up this book, but the high praise of his previous work and the description drew me in. Recommended.
Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!!
Douglas M, Reviewer
This most fascinating book is being reviewed for On the Seawall...it should be coming out sometimes in the coming weeks...November for than likely.
.
DOUG
Kyra L, Reviewer
Stuck in an airport in the middle of a blizzard, Jim Moore has plenty of time to people watch and reminisce on his own life. His life has been a little dull.
His ex-girlfriend Rosemary asked him all the time to tell her about his life and his short response was that “nothing happened”. He’s a successful salesman with a territory spanning the continental United States and that takes up all of his time - what does the past matter?
While waiting for the blizzard to abate, Jim meets a yoga instructor; a man returning home from burying his mother; and a philosophical woodsman. The conversations he has brings back emotions surrounding his father’s suicide and reflections on his intimate relationships, especially his failure to be truthful with Rosemary.
Memorandum from the Iowa Cloud Appreciation Society is a short novel with a long memory. Readers get the life story of not only Jim, but also his fellow travelers through strong yet succinct storytelling.
Thanks to University of Iowa Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Memorandum from the Iowa Cloud Appreciation Society is scheduled for release today, November 4, 2022.
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