My Amazon and Goodreads review of Automatically Hip: Stories by John McCaffrey (Rating 5) – Seriously Jazzy. At first, the tales in John McCaffrey’s collection Automatically Hip appear easy, effortless, even flip. Then he drops an insight that makes you realize, “This story is more substantial than it seems!” Like being hip, there’s nothing automatic about good writing. It takes work and McCaffrey has done his. I say this as both a reader and a fellow fiction writer (see my Amazon author page and Goodreads author page). While the protagonists in these stories are not hip, neither are they losers or geeks. Just run-of-the-mill guys who wish they could be cooler. And yet, every now and then, something extraordinary happens to them. Just like those magical moments that can strike all us ordinary mortals if, like McCaffrey, we’re open enough to let them. Each piece is finely crafted, designed not only to entertain but also to enlighten us about human desires, foibles, and quirks. The result is seriously satisfying.
Just wanted to say hello after I read about you in our class notes and learned that you also live in Ann Arbor. I am looking forward to reading your books.
Thanks so much Anne. Lots of Cornellians end up in Ann Arbor! I hope you enjoy the books. I’m setting up readings in the next few months for my upcoming novel, One Person’s Loss. I’ll post the info on my website. If you’d like me to add your name to my monthly email newsletter, send me your email address via the CONTACT page or email annsepstein@asewovenwords.com. Best and thanks again.