", Randall Kenan's first novel, A Visitation of Spirits was published by Grove Press in 1989; and a collection of stories, Let the Dead Bury Their Dead, was published in 1992 by Harcourt, Brace. The stories were somewhat connected and they get more magical as they go on. Carry your wings of hope so high in the sky that there is no room left for disappointments. I love the mix of straight realism and the most light-handed magical realism among the collection. Wise Old Sayings is a database of thousands of inspirational, humorous, and thoughtful quotes, sorted by Another long list. You can put wings on a pig, but you don't make it an eagle. A satisfying collection of short stories which started out extremely strong, but for me weakened with the last 3 or 4 stories as ghosts and magical realism became more prevalent. Recommended. Some of the stories are about ordinary folks and some feel otherworldly. What I enjoyed the most was the writing. What a loss that he is gone from us too soon. No bird can fly without opening its wings, and no one can love without exposing their hearts. "If I Had Two Wings" is not a compilation of short stories, it's a genuine collection. I was so sad to learn that he passed away in late August. of Freiburg to study at art academies in Freiburg, Karlsruhe, Dusseldorf; made huge paintings using symbolic photographic images to deal ironically with 20th-c. German history; developed array of visual symbols commenting on tragic aspects of German history and culture, particularly Nazi period; in 1970s painted series of landscapes that capture rutted, somber German countryside; paintings of 1980s acquired physical presence through use of perspective devices and unusual textures; broadened themes to include references to ancient Hebrew and Egyptian history. Okay, nice work, Mr. Kenan. thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand. O! To see what your friends thought of this book. It has a story. Until you spread your wings, you'll have no idea how far you can fly. So enjoyed reading about places, storms, and folks I recognize. All Rights Reserved. Though I can honestly I didn't understand the ending of several of the stories, they were still wonderful. I've always been fascinated by everything with wings. ', For short story collections I usually try to review each story individually (unless there's way too many), but these were a lot less individual stories and more scenes from different people living in the same town. But in my sleep to you I fly: I'm always with you in my sleep!