Jake La Botz Your Place in This World: A Novella and Stories Cornerstone Press
When reviewing THEY’RE COMING FOR ME, the 2019 album by Jake La Botz, Lonesome Highway concluded the review with the following observation: ‘Like chapters in a book of short stories, Jake La Botz has the ammunition to keep you turning the pages to revel in the absurd, fanciful and often comical tales.’ Little did we know that the Chicago-born songwriter, actor and meditation teacher would, in fact, turn his hand to writing short stories. Unlike the songwriting in that album, there is no place for humour in YOUR PLACE in THIS WORLD. Instead, it digs into the unfortunate and forsaken that barely exist in the underbelly of Chicago’s derelict suburbs.
Eleven tales unfold, each linked by their portrayal of Chicago’s bleak realities. The title story, spanning more than half the book’s 190 pages, transitions into a brutal chronicle of a child doomed from birth. His parents neglected even to register his name at birth. After his mother’s death, the young boy, eventually named Steve after actor Steve McQueen, lives with his drug-addicted father, who is frequently in jail for petty crimes, and his father’s prostitute girlfriend, also addicted. Steve joins his father in criminal acts and drug deals, surviving on scraps and whatever money he can steal. When his father is imprisoned for a long stretch, Steve, still in his early teens, must then navigate Chicago’s underworld on his own, moving the narrative toward his search for identity and connection.
That narrative shifts as a chance encounter with the busking blues player Diggy Nubbit becomes a fixation for the teenager. This story flows naturally from Steve’s struggle for survival into his obsession with this 'down and out.' Steve searches the local library for the blues player's history and music. The blues become an unexpected source of solace, providing Steve with structure as he learns to recreate his idol's vocal stylings, opening the door to joining other bohemian musicians and performing. This thread connects Steve’s journey to that of the other stories in the collection, each grounded in searching for meaning amidst adversity.
Following Steve’s story, the other shorter tales emerge, each transitioning from individual struggle to collective hardship. These stories also spotlight the unfortunate and poor: from the wrongful arrest and detention of an innocent man judged by appearance to the growing gulf between husband and wife, and the arrival of 1960s rock and roll, which disrupts what were once considered ‘happy families.’ Each narrative seamlessly continues the exploration of those marginalised by society.
Like his peer Willy Vlautin, Jake La Botz’s heroes are not superstars. He captures the dignity and survival of ordinary souls dealt a poor hand, spurred by real-life issues. Rarely written about, the subject matter here reflects life in America’s margins, and La Botz in his essays, seldom wastes a word.
Declan Culliton