Paul Walters - A Short Story of his Short Stories

There are few posts that I open with as much anticipation as those of Paul Walters. 

His travel stories transport me to another time and place. His other pieces contain a real human element - some are funny, some are serious, some are tragic, but all reveal something of the human condition in its many forms. Take a moment and read any of these: Preserve your memories,  Why I live where I live, and  I never sang for my father.

I first encountered Paul online and was hooked by the first paragraph of his profile: "I was born in the splendid city of Bath in the UK. At a relatively young age, my parents dragged me to Africa – a continent I was once told was not for sissies. A Long sojourn under African skies followed where I gained a questionable education and great sun tan." 

Few have the privilege of meeting an author and reading his books. I had the pleasure of the former last year in South Africa -  Three African Bees Meet -   and this past week I read Paul's book of short stories: Looking for Lionel.  

He says in the introduction:

“In many ways, writing-wise, this has been the hardest journey I have ever undertaken. I soon came to realize that crafting a short story is no easy task. It was to the greats I turned – O’Henry, Carver, Munroe, Hemingway and the like – to see if I could glean just a little from their genius, but sadly, their writing only made me more despondent. At the urging of my family, my friends, and even though my publisher was sceptical, I began to scribble and the end result is this slim volume of tales and short magazine pieces, all gathered together in one place.”

I am glad he did. The book is a delight. 

Quick changing plots, irreverent characters, and Paul’s fine ear for dialogue from various parts of the world had me reading on end. From the sad Looking for Lionel and First Love, to the hilarious Heavenly Summit and Burying Izzy Lazzard. My personal picks are A Letter to My Bank Manager and The Art of Procrastination: A Beginners Guide. 

Looking for Lionel contains 20 short stories  - written with Paul’s signature wit and deft hand at colorful prose. 

Now, if this were a commercial book review, here is where I would say: Buy it. But I won’t. For this is about the writer that is Paul. I say: Read it and savour the finely crafted tales and appreciate anew the art of the short story.