Meatloaf in Manhattan by Robert Power
It seems that Dublin-born Robert Powers is no stranger to the theme of loss. Powers, now living in Australia, has created in Meatloaf in Manhattan a profound study of loss in all its forms, spanning across generations, lands, cultures, and even alternate worlds.
In Manhattan, a waitress in a late-night diner is given a brief respite from her loneliness, only to have it snatched away from her; a cyber-superstar loses her fandom but finds solace in actualising a dream into a reality; a son loses his mother in Vietnam; another son loses his mother to madness; and a father loses his son in the tragic tale of ‘Synge’s Chair’, a story that will remain with you long after you turn the last page. In each of these small explorations, Powers carefully examines how his characters address the difficulties that life throws their way, be it from a place of acceptance, strength or despair.
Despite this recurrent theme, the 16 tales that make up Meatloaf in Manhattan do not leave you reaching for the whisky bottle. Each story is imbued with a ray of hope; even Charlene, the waitress in the title story, finds solace in the dancing snowflakes that fall around her as she closes the diner for the evening, or at least I like to think she does.