On Nov. 20, Jeffery Allen, who spent part of his career lecturing at FDU and teaching creative writing in the master’s program, came to the campus to give a reading to the FDU community in Lenfell Hall. The event was conducted by English Professor Rene Steinke.

Recently, Allen has been receiving a variety of praise for his most recent collection of short stories called “Holding Pattern” and his most recent debut novel “Rails Under My Back.” In a humble and slightly quiet tone of voice, Allen began the program by reading one of his short stories known as “The Near Remote,” a story that largely depicts a world where surrealism and reality collide. This short story is particularly interesting because there is no established conclusion and therefore, Allen has left it up to the reader to determine how this story should end. Allen then continued reading a few passages from his short story collection before he began taking questions from the audience.
When asked where he gets the influence for most of his works, Allen replied that most of his stories are autobiographical but a majority of them are drawn from much research as well. Most of his stories deal with urban experiences that are mixed with fantasy elements. Since most of his works depict the ghetto areas of Chicago, Allen stated that while these regions are mostly seen as places of limitations, the fantastic elements of his stories offer his characters a chance to achieve another life, perhaps one that is more fulfilling. The intense and often explicit words of his short stories are meant to startle the reader, but Allen also stated that he is largely looking to entertain his fans as well.

Allen confessed that he is heavily attracted to folk tales and exaggerated stories which relates to how most of his works are known to stretch the truth. He also stated that he is drawn to oral stories because he is interested in the way that stories sound and this relates to how his works are written in a type of street, slang language. Allen is influenced by a number of renowned authors such as William Faulkner and Toni Morrison.

Allen is an acclaimed contemporary author and poet whose works most commonly depict the African American experience. Allen’s family is largely descended from Mississippi and therefore, most of his stories are rooted in the “Old South.” Allen’s literature world is grounded in the gritty reality of urban hardship in Chicago. He is most commonly known for incorporating a wide variety of magical realism in his literature in which his stories depict a surreal world. Within this surreal world, Allen’s plots touch on a variety of intense subjects such as religion and violence. The plots of his stories are also very dream-like and Allen confessed that one of his goals when writing is to take his readers into the world of his characters.

His literature is far from traditional and he has been known to experiment and push conventional boundaries in his works. His characters often find themselves caught up in obstacles that are both familiar and fantastic. He is very skilled at stretching realism, using an intense amount of absurdity, and writing in heavy, often vulgar street language, dialects and accents. Allen’s short stories have often been compared to contemporary poetry as well. When commenting on Allen’s works, Donna Seaman of the Chicago Tribune said, “Every relationship is epic in its contentiousness, every conversation an escalating confrontation, every foray out into the world a combat mission. The, suddenly, in moments of terrible suspension, the essence of life, in all its profound strangeness, is revealed with supernatural clarity.”

When speaking with some of the students after the reading, many stated that listening to Allen speak was a tremendously different experience for them as opposed to reading his works on their own. Many were also very surprised to hear his almost timid tone, but they stated that his humble voice truly made his work much more authentic because it was easy to tell that his literature is largely written from his heart and with much care. Moreover, when reading his works, it is important to keep an open mind because Allen’s plots are not an easy read and they are far from linear. Overall, his work is very contemporary and he is certainly looking to make a statement in each short story that he writes. Copies of “Holding Pattern” can be found in the FDU bookstore.

MEGHAN DROGE
Staff WriterJeffer