Vignettes give readers plenty to ponder

Joy Williams' “99 Stories of God” (Byliner, $1.99, e-book only) is made up of brief vignettes. We meet regular people in recognizable or numinous situations; we spend some time with famous mystics like Philip K. Dick and Simone Weil; and we look in on the Lord as he plans a dinner party, adopts a turtle, or talks with a pharmacist. In Williams' conception, the Lord seems as befuddled by His creation as we might well be by Him.

The book, which is Williams' first in nearly a decade, offers a unique, often puzzling, sometimes unsettling reading experience. The Iowa Writers' Workshop alumna presents moments or scenes to be reflected upon rather than plots to follow or character studies to unpack. These moments seem to resist queries regarding meaning or interpretation. Cumulatively, however, they ask us to see the world from a shifted perspective. That change can be startling, mystifying or simply interesting.

The 30th story, menacingly titled “Satan's Leathery Wing,” features real-life efforts of the Cedar Rapids Historic Preservation Commission to save the Sinclair slaughterhouse smokestack. Williams fictionalizes the debate in a manner that highlights issues of history and ethics, and the ways in which we seek to preserve and forget the past.

While reading “99 Stories of God,” I also read several stories from Williams' 2004 short story collection, “Honored Guest.” I was struck by how many passages in those stories might have served well as individual pieces in the new book. In that sense, “99 Stories of God” reads as though Williams has stripped away the storytelling architecture one expects in favor of moments distilled to their essence. By doing so, she gives the reader much to ponder.

Rob Cline is a writer and published author, marketing director for University of Iowa's Hancher and director of literary events for New Bo Books, a division of Prairie Lights.

READING

• What: Joy Williams reads from her work
• Where: Frank Conroy Reading Room of the Glenn Schaeffer Library, adjacent to the Dey House, University of Iowa
• When: 8 p.m. Thursday
• Cost: Free