A man finds himself without the means to communicate with his wife and children.

(from Dark Roots)

I watch people sometimes, wonder how they can walk around with the weight of what they know. Wonder if they feel like me, stumbling with lead shoes on the bottom of the ocean, swimming in a sea of the unsayable. It’s a mistake we make, thinking it’s words that tell us everything.

“A Pitch Too High for the Human Ear” is a pretty short short story, as are most of the stories in this collection. So far, I’m really impressed with Kennedy’s prose and range. This is a first person narrative, told from the point of view of a man who can no longer run like he used to, who sees his abilities failing. Even his dog grows old and deaf. I would suggest buying this collection, which got good reviews in the NYTimes and Kirkus. You can read most of the story here.