All Around They’re Taking Down the Lights 

By Adam Berlin 

Livingston Press, 2024 

Paperback: $19.95 

Genre: Literary Fiction; Short Stories  

Reviewed by Danny Gamble 

 

Cover of All Around They're Taking Down the Lights. With All Around They’re Taking Down the Lights, Tartt First Fiction Award recipient Adam Berlin’s collection of fifteen short stories introduces readers to well-developed characters subject to the foibles of day-to-day existence. Readers may recognize some of these characters. Others may recognize themselves.   

Many of these characters dream of a career in Hollywood. Readers can play that Seinfeld game where viewers attempt to find the Superman reference in each episode. Other characters are not so subliminal. In the chapter “Makeit” Curt, a friendly reprobate, tries to lure his student friend away from his studies to head to the West Coast. In his argument, he namechecks Brando, DeNiro, James Dean, and Richard Gere. In fact, Curt’s lust for cinematic fame is so great that the term “make it”—as in “one day we’re going to make it”—becomes one word—makeit.  

Eyes are another trope common to Berlin’s stories. He introduces Wendi, a femme fatal with smart, Lauren Becall eyes sizzling enough to make a film noir simply by glancing into them. Think Slim in To Have and Have Not. Throughout the chapters, readers find puffy eyes, sad and tired eyes, red, exploding eyes, kid eyes, and adult eyes. If eyes are truly windows to the soul, then many—if not most—of Berlin’s characters have their blinds closed. But that’s what makes them interesting. 

Take, for instance, the aging and cynical writing professor at an anonymous New York City university. This professor, protected by tenure, is known to sleep with his students. He bets a colleague that, by using only OkCupid, he can bed ten women in ten days and then write a story about it. He does…but his books don’t sell.   

Now for the coup de grace: Lux. Patrick, a former teacher recently demoted to janitor, who may or may not have been involved with one of his students, finds himself homeless and moves in with Lux out of desperation. Shortly before Patrick plans to meet some buddies for beer and a televised Evander Hollyfield fight, Lux blackens his eye. 

Furthermore, [Lux] took all his savings and gave the money to her own mother…. She kicks him out of the house some nights…. Now she’s beating the shit out of him.  

Of course, character development is only one element a good writer strives to develop. Language is another. At some moments, Berlin’s language is clipped, Spartan. At others, it’s quite lyrical. The lascivious professor prefers Hemmingway. Partner Number Ten prefers Claudia Rankine and Jean Toomer. They hope their books will sell some day. One may get a sense of Déjà vu from some of the latter stories. Some echo earlier stories. Don’t fret. They’re only similar. Similar plots, but different characters. 

Then comes the theme. Some may see the book as a place where everyone loses, and nobody wins. That’s OK. Everything will work out fine. The more discerning reader will find that life is best lived when fighting age gracefully and getting drunk every day. 

Is Adam Berlin’s Tartt Award winner, All Around They’re Taking Down the Lights, a rocky but exhilarating ride? You betcha.   

Danny Gamble is the former Communication Director at The Alabama Writers’ Forum.