First published 2000
A carpenter measures wood while wondering if his trade will survive another decade. A waitress serves coffee to regulars who talk about the plant closing down the road. A nurse works double shifts because the hospital cut staff again. These workers and dozens of others populate Campbell's stories about people whose livelihoods hang in the balance. Painters and plumbers, teachers and social workers, chicken butchers and junk dealers all face the same question: what happens when the world no longer needs what you do? A lifeguard watches an empty beach. A car salesman stands in a lot full of vehicles nobody wants. Campbell follows these characters through shifts that stretch too long and paychecks that arrive too small. The stories reveal how work shapes identity and how economic change reshapes entire communities. Each character must decide whether to adapt, resist, or simply endure as industries vanish and new ones demand different skills.
Genres: fiction, short-stories, literary-fiction, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: character-driven, slice-of-life
Period: 21st-century
232 pages · Paperback · Bottom Dog Press