Flash Review: Acts of Kindness and Excellence in Times Tables

Review of Caia Hagel's Acts of Kindness and Excellence in Times Tables (The Cupboard, Volume 4, Spring 2009). Read an interview with Caia here.
Caia Hagel's collection is an eclectic compilation of chapters surrounding the main character of Larry, a man in his twenties who still wears the Spiderman costume his mother made for him as a child. However, Larry is anything but the strange guy on the street wearing a costume. Rather, his costume brings out his alternate persona, allowing him to channel other emotions and personalities, all while struggling to find his own identity. For example, in the chapter titled "Channeling Jeff Buckley," Larry says this:

Tonight is the anniversary of the death of Jeff Buckley so I will channel him in what I hope will be a moving tribute to his drowning. For these kind of performances I mostly always wear my spidermask because I'm really channeling and I want to come across as true to the spirit of the other person as possible. None of my own face should be visible.

I was drawn into Hagel's chapbook primarily because of the intimate, specific details of time and place she employs so very well. Each of the chapters is begun with a chapter title such as "Lunch With Mother" and "Spider Medicine." Hagel uses such descriptive words and phrases to highlight the true essence of Larry, such as when he says the following:

I especially like the moment just before the curtains open, when I'm alone on the stage with only a pole and a prop, and the light is centered right on the spider in the centre of my heart, which is really a symbol, and I feel the fire of performance rising in me.

Larry becomes the modern day superhero and the equivalent of the unsuspecting hero. He has a "night job" as he so innocently refers to, a dancer in a club called The Unicorn, though we are never quite sure just what this job truly entails, leaving the reader open to interpretation as to what really is Larry's true occupation ( if he even has one).

The most powerful and meaningful relationship in the collection is between Larry and his mother. Though clearly they hold different views on life, Larry makes several attempts to bridge the gap in their generations and tries to shed light on humanity to his mother. Despite his failed attempts, the reader can most definitely identify with the struggle to connect with older family members.

What is captivating about Hagel's writing is her ability to keep the reader hanging in suspense, chapter to chapter throughout the chapbook. Larry's life is dictated by his own acts of kindness upon strangers and those he loves. He cannot help but to help others, and just when the reader sees him as "normal," he surprises the reader and himself. Larry is an endearing character, one the reader cannot help but cheer for, a quality that makes the reader stick with him and not give up. Especially wonderful about this chapbook is its ability to capture large themes in a tiny place. The unique, unrequited relationship between mother and son is highlighted in Hagel's work as well as theme of the absent father. Hagel also touches on themes of lost love, innocence, grief, and self-doubt.Through the accessibility of Larry, Hagel is able to make a meaningful connection from a fictional character to the reader.

About the Author

Katie Baker is an MFA in Creative Writing (Fiction) candidate at Rosemont College. She graduated with Political Science and English degrees from Saint Joseph's University in 2009. She enjoys reading, writing, and running, though not all at the same time. She currently teaches Writing at Philadelphia University.

For further reading, check out FlashFiction.Net's suggested readings of flash fiction and prose poetry collections, anthologies, and craft books, by clicking here.

Subscribe to FlashFiction.Net by Email