Concord, Virginia 

A Southern Town in Eleven Stories 

Critical Praise 

The Roanoke Times (Virginia)
August 2, 2009 Sunday
Metro Edition
Dark Doings in a VA Town
by Doug Cumming

The Southern storytelling tradition survives like a dominant gene in surprising evolutionary pathways.

Peter Neofotis, a 28-year-old climate-change researcher in New York, was raised in Rockbridge County, a son and grandson of locals. At the consolidated high school, he recited short stories from memory in dramatic interpretation competitions. He left for Columbia University, where he studied science but reveled in the great writers of its core curriculum. He stayed in New York and wrote a book about growing up in rural Virginia.

His creative writing teacher at Columbia, novelist David Plante, read the manuscript and gave him some advice. Keep writing, but don't write about yourself. Make up stories. So Neofotis began writing short stories based on Rockbridge County characters, color, history, legends and news clippings.

He gave these stories wild, gothic turns -- mythic exaggerations, dream-like voices, quick brutal murders, sentient snakes, rabid dogs, psychedelic moonshine, secret gay liaisons.

Readers familiar with the Virginia Horse Center, Goshen Pass, the Natural Bridge, Lexington -- the model for "Concord" -- and with the personalities of Rockbridge County will be tickled by how these are transformed into mythic material. Or maybe you will be irked by the distortions of Neofotis' higher truth, and suspect that a certain bohemian New York gullibility about the South influenced the improbable violence that erupts in these tall tales. Let it be a joke on the Yankees. These stories, in their interweaving of characters and plots, finally sing with a passion for the South and for language. "It is we, the voices of Concord, Virginia -- replenished by a mountain river -- inviting you, friend, to swim in our abiding story."

"Concord, Virginia" bristles with dark doings -- sometimes hilarious, sometimes gruesome. The genre could be called supernatural realism, or neo-Southern gothic. The telling draws on natural science, Greek tragedy (a black man chained by the Klan to the Natural Bridge, attacked by vultures, comforted by a mockingbird, is Prometheus Bound), American Indian folklore, gay history, Thomas Jefferson's life, local politics and other serious readings.

This choiring of voices is a remarkable accomplishment for a young man who, like a songstress in the book who moves to Manhattan, had a song brewing within him about community but didn't know how to release it. He has released it, and it is worth giving yourself over to his imaginative leaps to experience this work as one might a weirdly familiar dream.

CONCORD, VIRGINIA: A Southern Town in Eleven Stories By Peter Neofotis. St. Martin's Press. 192 pages. $19.99

Doug Cumming, Ph.D., is an associate professor of journalism at Washington & Lee University.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Publisher's Weekly 

Concord, Virginia: A Southern Town in Eleven Stories
Peter Neofotis. St. Martin’s, $19.95 (160p) ISBN 9780312537371

This colorful debut collection consists of 11 interlinked stories set in a fictitious Shenandoah Valley town between the early 1950s and late ’70s. The stories exhibit an Appalachian Gothic vibe, and their outlandish, often violent plots draw on the antics of the local eccentrics. The book kicks off with “The Vultures,” in which George MacJenkins returns from vacation to find dozens of vultures have turned his home into their grotesque roost. Local reporter Rachel Stetson features in a couple stories, interviewing a religious snake handler in one, reporting on “the town fool” in the next. In “The Builders,” Tom Dorian, an African-American carpenter married to a woman from a white trash family, is chained to a bridge by bigoted locals and has a very strange encounter with Mary Anne Randolph, “a haunted albino.” Elsewhere, the 1968 trial of two gay men for sodomy in “The Botanist” offers a few humorous moments. Neofotis smartly captures a sometimes creepy, sometimes beautiful corner of Americana.(July)


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tattered beauty of a town and its people
The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star, Norfolk, VA, Nov 29, 2009 | by DANA STAVES

Special to The Virginian-Pilot

I have heard of people flocking to haunted sites in search of the voices of lost loves, old secrets, broken hearts and ancient grudges.

In place of a haunted house, I offer Peter Neofotis' debut short story collection, "Concord, Virginia: A Southern Town in Eleven Stories."

Neofotis renders the landscape of this Shenandoah town beautifully, creating a portrait of a river valley, nestled between limestone cliffs and Virginia's great pines. The book opens with a prologue that describes the town: "In the places set between folds in the Earth, voices echo against mountains. This is especially true if it is blue-dusk; you are alone; and you laugh, cry, or call out for a friend."

Those voices come from the burden of history (the ghost of Thomas Jefferson makes an appearance) as well as from the townspeople, the characters whose 11 stories span two decades, from the mid-1950s to the mid-'70s.

The author provides a list of characters like the cast of a play, identifying townspeople by profession (fisherman, carpenter) and public opinion (artist, loon). Neofotis lets the town's inhabitants breathe, lets them love and search and sin. Since this is a series of stories connected by place and acquaintance, characters cross chapter lines, appearing in each other's' narratives. The epic nature of the landscape, its trans-chapter spread, gives the book a Faulknerian feel, while the interconnected stories, the community of characters, reminds me of Elizabeth Strout's "Olive Kitteridge."

Neofotis bravely takes on controversial subject matter, such as the Korean War, religious protest and homosexuality. Several stories, however, feature a God-like narrator who seems to be the town's representative, and who sounds like a racist old curmudgeon. It is possible that Neofotis uses this narrator precisely to insert racial tension in the stories, as the narrator characterizes African American characters in a way that borders on racial slurs but reads true to 1960s pre-civil-rights vernacular. Readers may be unsettled by that style of narration - indicative of an Old South voice, one baffled by, but reluctantly tolerant of, racial desegregation - in short, the voice of the past.

While the racial undertones may give readers pause, Neofotis achieves honesty in writing about people, rather than types of people. Controversy gives way to community, and political allegory is sidestepped to become a study of human relationships. In one story, when a church priest condemns a parishioner's son for his homosexual relationship and subsequent suicide, the town abandons the church and rallies behind the boy's mother. In another, the town helps its native daughter to kill her father and make it look like an accident.

This collection has heart, darkened by history, washed in the river and beating still. The grotesque nature of the stories may give readers pause as they wonder at the implausibility of dog attacks, vulture infestations and murders, but beneath the unbelievable events of the stories lies a current of truth and tattered beauty that makes the collection worth reading.

Dana Staves, an MFA student in creative writing at Old Dominion University, specializes in Southern fiction.

"Concord, Virginia: A Southern Town in Eleven Stories"

Peter Neofotis

St. Martin's. 187 pp. $19.99.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Virginia Reviews 
https://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/VALib/v58_n1/reviews.html

Neofotis, Peter. Concord, Virginia: A Southern Town in Eleven Stories. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2009. ISBN-13: 978-0-312-53737-1. $19.99 (hardcover).

In Concord, Virginia, Peter Neofotis chronicles the lives of Virginians in a small Southern town set in the beautiful hills of central Virginia. Though the town itself is fictitious, the people who populate it represent well the varied history, experiences, attitudes, outlook, family backgrounds, education, and philosophy of life that illustrate the many changes Virginia has undergone and the rich variety of citizens who make it their home. Backed by an explanatory timeline that stretches from 1951 through 1979 (provided by Rachel Stetson, who is herself a figure in the book), the nonlinear arrangement of the stories allows readers to follow the life and characters of this small town as if they were fellow inhabitants whose memories carried them forward and back. Further adding to the sense of familiarity with the town and its people is the way that the main subject of one story becomes an anecdote in another one further down the line — or, conversely, is mentioned in passing in an earlier story, providing foreshadowing and piquing the reader’s interest. From time to time, the town as a whole even addresses the reader in familiar or welcoming tones: “It is we, the voices of Concord, Virginia — replenished by a mountain river — inviting you, friend, to swim in our abiding story” (2).

Readers take part in the characters’ tragedies, triumphs, secrets, and odd successes with an intimacy that feels entirely natural. Strange, unlooked-for redemption finds these characters in surprising ways that lift the spirit past the grim outlook one might have expected of people such as an exsoldier whose experience in Korea included the Tiger Death March and ostracism after he returned home for being a POW; a champion horse-rider whose father murders her mother, then her horse, before she finally shoots him; a gay man on trial for a false accusation of rape brought by his closeted lover; and a white descendent of Thomas Jefferson who finds her former black lover chained by the Ku Klux Klan to the Natural Bridge above the Fork River in the Concord Pass.

Yet balancing these tragic events, the surprising goodness of life carries an elation that soars like the last swinging dive by the town’s two oldest citizens from the branches of Methuselah, the oldest tree in town. Through trickery and the naïveté of the younger generation, Virginia Energy has finally built a hydroelectric dam at the end of the Concord Pass, which will flood the tree. The whole town had rallied to defend the tree for years, using their own wily tricks; yet even as we face the approaching death of the tree and two beloved characters, the last sight is a joyous moment. The “river started to claim Methuselah, the black walnut tree. [Elise] helped [Alistair] as they scaled the nailed-on ladder planks … [to the] highest branches… . [H]igh above Indian Pool, they rested, prayed to God, then pulled up the rope swing with their feeble hands. They jumped, sailing through the air like a pendulum, releasing themselves at the most distant and highest point. Arms opening like the wings of a dove while holding each other’s hands, the Ancients then, for old times’ sake, gave that wild river one last dive” (170).

Life’s ironies may be painful at times, but for the most part are prized for the opportunity they present for redemption or the chance to see life with new eyes. In particular, the characters’ ability to carry on, find goodness in life, and help one another despite — or perhaps because of — these vicissitudes endear them to the reader. These moments of personal uplift, and the ability of the town itself to grow in wisdom and community spirit, can be seen throughout the book. George MacJenkins, who perpetually mourns the wife he accidentally shot while hunting, and has given up guns — and has an aversion for birds — as a result, finds his yard invaded by vultures that fill the yard and his daughters’ playhouse with vomit and droppings. Fireworks don’t scare off the birds, but while he’s debating whether to break his own ban against violence to kill them, the vultures save his daughters from a rabid dog, tearing it to shreds before their eyes. After this, the vultures are welcome visitors. Violet Graves, whose early life and adulthood were spent in slavery, was educated by her Northern-born master’s wife and entrusted with management of the estate. Violet’s husband, inspired by her readings of Frederick Douglass, particularly the quote, “those who would be free, themselves must strike the first blow” (65), enlisted and was killed in World War II. Their son James, the bright spot in his mother’s life, is “part of the first integrated class at Stonewall Jackson High School … [and] made even Simon Donald run at full pace in the race for class rank” (68). Following his father’s example, James refuses to botch his physical for Vietnam even at Simon’s urging, but returns from Vietnam just in time to save this friend from the lies of Simon’s former lover on the stand. Though not gay himself, James pretends to be so in order to expose the treachery of Jackson McCormick, who would accuse Simon of rape rather than have the community and his prominent father believe him gay after he and Simon are discovered together. Following this, despite the previous fervor of the trial, James’s heroism causes the town to acknowledge and accept Simon as one of their own. After James dies of brain cancer caused by Agent Orange, a fact the government refuses to acknowledge, Violet takes to burning the flag every Fourth of July, and the town gathers to salute her: “We remember standards, expectations, mistakes, and dreams. As the flames engulf the flag, the people of Concord, Virginia, hope to do better” (73).

As in any life, the characters experience highs, lows, and plenty of in-betweens; interesting and eccentric, they each have their own quirks and failings, and at times their hatred may even overwhelm their love. Yet the human complexities that make them challenging only bring these characters more fully to life. Upon finding Tom Dorian chained on the Natural Bridge, Mary Anne Randolph has to fight her own bitterness before she can decide to save him. Forbidden by her father to have a black man’s child, Mary Anne had fled home, only to lose the baby; though she later returned, Tom married another white woman instead. But the spirit of Thomas Jefferson, ancestor to both her and Tom, inhabits Tom’s unconscious body to argue with Mary Anne. She blames him: “All you had to do was lift your famed pen to make it okay for me to love Tom Dorian.” Faced with proof in the form of his descendent Tom, Jefferson admits to his affair with Sally Hemings, saying she “made me feel healthy and alive” (105). But even now he won’t admit that he loved her, reserving that sentiment for his wife. Though she can never be satisfied with Jefferson’s answers — or the cruel irony of Tom’s marriage — Mary Anne breaks Tom’s chains and carries him to the hospital.

This book is a tour de force, a work of amazing beauty and depth that holds together from beginning to end. It grabs the heart and doesn’t let go. Due to the book’s literary quality, its complex thematic unity and poetic language, as well as the compelling narratives and accessible characters in these joined stories, I highly recommend this for both public and academic libraries — and especially for anyone with an interest in Virginia culture. 
      — Lyn C. A. Gardner, Hampton Public Library


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Concord, Virginia - A Southern Town in Eleven Stories
by Christopher Sandlin
EDGE Gulf Coast Regional Editor

Tuesday Jul 7, 2009

Welcome to Concord, Virginia. Tucked into the rolling hills of rural Virginia, "in the places set between folds in the Earth, voices echo against mountains..." Through 11 short stories, author Peter Neofotis carefully weaves together a fictional patchwork of voices, characters and history of a close-knit bygone Southern town torn between tradition and modernity. Drawn from his experiences growing up in the South, Concord, Virginia is a strong debut for Neofotis, who previously received acclaim for sharing these stories in an off-Broadway one-man show (a "panegyric performance" as he describes it). Equally Gothic, haunting, humorous, touching: each short story is captivating enough to stand on its own, but strengthened by interwoven story lines and themes from its companions. 

In The Vultures, George MacJenkins is plagued by black vultures who nest in his yard and wreak havoc. Is this the consequence of his beloved wife’s accidental death?

In The Strangers Gypsy woman Ms. Tzigane, the town’s eccentric, finds a kindred spirit in Mr. Silversmith, newly arrived in America after surviving the horrors of Auschwitz. The unlikely couple find freedom in the meditative waters of Fork River.

In The Botanist, Neofotis calls upon his own experience growing up gay in the rural South as he tells the story of Simon Donald, a young man put on trial for his sexuality. In his childhood, Simon learned about plant life and gardening from the town’s prized gardener. Personal growth, he learns, might not be so different from planting vegetables. 

Though the 11 stories span from the nineteen century to the late 1970s, each story is subtly linked to the others in an effort to show the timeless - and perhaps supernatural - sense of place in Concord. But time has a habit of catching up. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Concord, Virginia: A Southern Town in Eleven Stories
Radical Faerie Digest 
Issue 138, Summer 
by Wilson Hand Kidde

In case you’ve been wondering what happened to the great American tradition of storytelling, look to Peter Neofotis. His extraordinary first collection, Concord, Virginia: A Southern Town in Eleven Stories is the sort of work you’ll feel like reading aloud. Set in a fictitious town, these fresh, original stories, replete with wit and keen observation of human nature, are reminiscent of Eudora Welty and Tennessee Williams. Woven dexterously throughout, Neofotis’s characters come alive with tenderness, humor and passion to try to untangle the mysteries of life and love as well as to grapple with broader issues that continue to confront society like racism, bigotry and the values important to a well-spent life. Neofotis’s exquisitely felt and rendered prose often seems to border on poetry, myth and legend. These delightful stories announce the arrival of a new American writer we can look forward to hearing more from. That’s very good news indeed.
[Concord, Virginia: A Southern Town in Eleven Stories, St. Martin’s Press, New York, 2009, 160 pp., $19.95, ISBN: 0312537379]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Neofotis evokes physical, emotional setting
By GREG LANGLEY AND BOB ANDERSON
Advocate (Baton Rouge, New Orleans) News Features staff 
Published: Jul 26, 2009

Fiction
CONCORD, VIRGINIA
By Peter Neofotis
St. Martin’s Press, $19.99

The subtitle of this small collection is “A Southern Town in Eleven Stories.” In these 11 short pieces set in a town in a little valley in Virginia’s Blue Ridge, Neofotis uses recurring characters and locations to gradually bring into focus the likeness of this small place. Concord emerges like an image gradually appearing on a print being developed in a darkroom: the town eccentric here, the prodigal daughter there, the rich jerk here, the star athlete there, and here the sickness of prejudice that simmers just below the surface.

In “The Vultures,” a man with a load of guilt gains a measure of absolution from a flock of very unattractive birds. In “The Snake Man,” a reporter from the local paper interviews a man carrying the psychic wounds of war hidden inside him. During a daylong river dalliance, the man and the reporter gradually share information and reach some understanding of each other. In “The Heiress,” a young woman takes the life of her dictatorial brute of a father. Race and hatred fuel the plot of “The Builders.” Each of the 11 stories is worthy of attention.

 Neofotis shows a keen sensitivity to nature. That is part of what gives his writing such a strong sense of place. At the same time, a powerful strain of mysticism informs Neofotis’ work. His stories are closer in spirit to Ray Bradbury than William Faulkner. He is an adept wordsmith who evokes his setting in both a physical and emotional sense. As he says in his prologue — “In Invitation” — Concord, Va., is one of those rare and special places that birth stories and folklore.

“In the places set between folds in the Earth, voices echo against the mountains. This is especially true if it is blue-dusk; you are alone; and you laugh, cry, or call out for a friend.

“Often no one hears your song, lost forever. Yet in a small town guarded by blue-limestone forested masses, a tale — like a ghost — can verberate off the weathered hills.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Folds in the Earth' yield stories
By Mae Woods Bell
Book Reviewer
http://www.rockymounttelegram.com/folds-earth-yield-stories-16857
Friday, February 26, 2010
Peter Neofotis' collection of short stories, "Concord, Virginia" (St. Martin’s Press; 178 pages; $19.99), is by turns whimsical, Gothic, savage, hilarious and poetic — Southern storytelling at its grotesque best. The interwoven tales give the reader insightful character portraits of the denizens of Concord, “a place set between the folds in the Earth,” whose voices echo against the Virginia mountains. Some of those voices raised in a small town guarded by blue-limestone forested hills, have a dreamy, nostalgic tone; others, a more chilling acceptance of a cruel reality...

In between the tale of the vultures and the finale, the book records the personal histories and lives of fisherman Sammy Nolon, artist Jethro O’Pitcairns, carpenter Tom Dorian, animal lover and gypsy Ms. Tzigane; singer Carson Falkland and other unforgettable madcap and lovable characters.

---