Peter Hoppock launches the summer series with a discussion of Lauren Groff's short story The Wind, a haunting story of a single harrowing day in a family's life which was first published in the New Yorker in January 2021.
Lauren Groff creates a riveting picture of a woman's escape from an abusive husband. The key to drawing the reader into this all-too-common situation are the craft choices Groff has made in point of view and an almost surgical objectivity that melds syntax, diction, tone and voice into a distinct whole. Such stories are too easily sensationalized by either an extremely close —usually raw and ugly—third person narration, or an equally disturbing first person account. Groff eschews both options and has found a compelling solution.
Hosted by: Sam Farler
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BIO: Peter Hoppock has been published in a variety of literary magazines, both online and in print including The Write Launch, Adelaide, Curbside Splendor, Dillydoun Review and more. Palasatrium chose Blues For Rashid for its June 2023 featured story. His novella Mr. Pegg to You was a finalist in the 2013 Press 53 Novella contest, and his novella Precipice won an Honorable Mention in the 2024 Black Orchid Novella Awards. He has co-edited two OCWW anthologies of short stories and creative non-fiction: Turning Points (2021), and Meaningful Conflicts (2023), with a third to be released in Fall of 2026.
