Al Young

  • 11

    Catalog books

  • 7

    Works

  • 1970 to 2007

    Strongest span

Who This Author Is

Al Young’s Something About the Blues collects short fiction grounded in music, memory, and the small reckonings of everyday life. These stories move between intimate domestic scenes and the lingering rhythms of blues and jazz, letting characters find meaning in songs, friendships, and the choices that shape ordinary days.

Across the collection, Young favors quiet, precise detail and an ear for dialogue that reveals longing and resilience. The book balances melancholy and wry observation, following people who carry histories in their gestures and listen for what a tune or a conversation might finally make them understand.

Best Place To Start

Something About the Blues

Sourcebooks Media Fusion • 2007 • standard commitment

It stands out because it asks for less time than many of the longer volumes on this page.

Author At A Glance

Best known for: Poetic blues-infused storytelling • Evocative short fiction • Music and memory themes

Genres and themes: Literary fiction • Short stories • Music & memory • Southern atmosphere

Who this author is best for: For readers who like lyrical, music-shaped prose and compact, emotionally layered stories.

Start with Something About the Blues to sample Young’s blend of musical cadence and short fiction.

Top Books To Start With

  1. Something About the Blues

    Sourcebooks Media Fusion • 2007 • standard commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 2007 • 200 pages.

  2. Heaven

    Creative Arts Book Co • 1992 • longer commitment

    It helps anchor a specific period of this author’s publishing run instead of blending into the undated shelf clutter.

  3. Sitting Pretty

    Creative Arts Book Co • 1986 • standard commitment

    UPB note: one of the most common used-copy publishers for this author • year signal: 1986 • 272 pages.

  4. Snakes

    Creative Arts Book Co • 1981 • quick commitment

    UPB note: one of the most common used-copy publishers for this author • year signal: 1981 • 160 pages.

  5. STRAIGHT NO CHASER

    Creative Arts Book Co • 1997 • quick commitment

    UPB note: one of the most common used-copy publishers for this author • year signal: 1997 • 26 pages.

  6. Conjugal Visits

    Creative Arts Book Co • 1996 • quick commitment

    UPB note: one of the most common used-copy publishers for this author • year signal: 1996 • 40 pages.

  7. Who Is Angelina? (California Fiction)

    Univ of California Pr • 1996 • standard commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 1996 • 280 pages.

  8. Ploughshares Spring 1993

    Ploughshares Books • 1993 • standard commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 1993 • 234 pages.

  9. Snakes : A Novel

    Holt, Rinehart and Winston • 1970 • quick commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 1970 • 149 pages.

  10. A Brief Introduction and Anthology (Harpercollins

    Longman Pub Group • 1997 • longer commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 1997 • 500 pages.

How The Picks Compare

  • Something About the Blues is the easier short commitment, while Heaven asks for more reading time up front.
  • Heaven gives you an earlier look at this author’s shelf, while Something About the Blues leans later in the catalog.
  • Sitting Pretty is also useful if you want a different publishing lane from Something About the Blues.

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