At the outset, “Things in a Shooting Gallery” recalls Lydia Davis’ “Extracts of a Life.” This is done mostly through the form of the piece, as passages ranging from one sentence to a few paragraphs are arranged, each with their own heading title. Similarities to the piece continue throughout, with the heading titles often mimicking each other and the thus also the content. Childhood, If you think of something, do it, and The Japanese poet Issa are matched by Childhood, Stick to your guns, and the The Wit and Wisdom of Will Rogers. Is it fair to call this piece an imitation? Not so fast, cowboy. “Things in a shooting gallery,” puts an old-western spin on Davis’ strange, Japanese violin hybridization. I’d say that this piece sticks more closely to a centerpiece--cowboys and guns--rather than Davis’ story which is somewhat eccentric in its parts.
The voice in this piece is unique and authoritative, adopting the attitude of a young girl whose father is a gun-proud cowboy. It seems she’s from New Mexico, or Oklahoma, and the story is set sometime in the late 90’s or early 2000’s. The piece develops throughout her life, ranging from childhood to college, but there were times when I wasn’t sure how old the narrator was supposed to be. The voice doesn’t change, and I suppose it shouldn’t, as the narrator isn’t changing. This piece is very evocative and strong, and I would work on wrenching it a bit away from the template Davis has set and seeing how you can mold it more to your liking.
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