The Saved by Joe Hill

the man-who-had-a-jacket-from-Jesus...

This special edition chapbook of Joe Hill's short story, "The Saved," was published by PS Publishing as a holiday gift for their subscribers. It is the third in the series. Signed hard copies were sent to all Postscripts hardcover subscribers; paperback subscribers received unsigned copies. The press run was very small, as no copies were offered for sale to the general public.

The 24 page short story originally appeared in The Clackamas Review Vol. V, 2001 and is bound in light blue and black pictorial boards with wraparound artwork by James Hannah that is repeated as endpapers. Issued without a dust jacket.

This is the first story I have read by Joe Hill. I became interested in him after finding out that his book, "The Horns," is currently being made into a movie starring Daniel Radcliffe. "The Saved" is reminiscent of Flannery O'Connor's work - sharp, tight writing combined with themes of religion and violence. A middle aged man, Jubal Scott, consistently down on his luck, finally scrapes up enough money to buy an automobile so that he can travel to visit his young daughter who he has not seen in three years. While driving to see her, Jubal stops to pick up a hitchhiker, who turns out to be wearing a coat covered in blood (something he doesn't at first notice).

I won't say more for fear of giving away too much, other than that this is a ghost story (I think)! And Jubal is struggling with the overwhelming guilt he feels for what basically amounts to abandoning his young child. He is constantly trying to rationalize and justify his behavior, but when held up to the harsh light of reality, he discovers that he's done so much less for his child than what he'd been trying to tell himself.

Before I end this review, I must comment on James Hannah's extraordinary artwork - I loved it! The artwork perfectly illustrates the story Hill is telling and immediately draws your eye. Eerie, haunting, and gothic, just like Hill's story.

I liked this story. The conclusion was unexpected - this isn't a story with a tidy ending - and left me wondering what (could have) happened next. I would definitely read something else by Joe Hill, but first, I'm going to sit down and re-read "The Saved!" ( )