"The Game of Go" starts off with some very pleasant white noise in the background - the sound of a train arriving at the station. After that, our narrator takes us the on a short but intriguing journey - from the school in his South Side neighborhood to a North Side cafe where he plays Go every week.
The piece provides a good sense of place, and makes the setting easy for the listener to imagine. Small aspects of the setting and event are told in great detail, and complemented nicely with simple sound effects of Go pieces being placed on the board. The storytelling is excellent too - the narrator speaks poetically, and uses words like "combatants" and "battle" to give the reader a more intimate sense of his own feelings.
Though this story is short and relatively simple, it is elegantly told, and the youth perspective on such an old game is refreshing and well told. This piece is probably too short to stand on its own, but it would fit in well with other stories about games, hobbies, or neighborhoods.
Review of Southwest Side Stories: The Game of Go
Emily Raymond
Posted on February 16, 2006 at 08:54 AM
"The Game of Go" starts off with some very pleasant white noise in the background - the sound of a train arriving at the station. After that, our narrator takes us the on a short but intriguing journey - from the school in his South Side neighborhood to a North Side cafe where he plays Go every week.
The piece provides a good sense of place, and makes the setting easy for the listener to imagine. Small aspects of the setting and event are told in great detail, and complemented nicely with simple sound effects of Go pieces being placed on the board. The storytelling is excellent too - the narrator speaks poetically, and uses words like "combatants" and "battle" to give the reader a more intimate sense of his own feelings.
Though this story is short and relatively simple, it is elegantly told, and the youth perspective on such an old game is refreshing and well told. This piece is probably too short to stand on its own, but it would fit in well with other stories about games, hobbies, or neighborhoods.