The Slow Fix

by Ivan E. Coyote

”Coyote is an important literary voice, blending a keen sense of gay identity and community with a refreshing appreciation for the goodness at the heart of some straight people.”—Out

The first three story collections by Ivan E. Coyote featured insightful, deeply personal tales about gender, identity, and community, based on her own experiences growing up lesbian in Canada’s North. Ivan’s most recent book, Bow Grip, was her first novel; it was shortlisted for the Ferro-Grumley Prize for Women’s Fiction, was named a Stonewall Honor Book by the American Library Association, and won Canada’s ReLit Award for Best Novel of the Year.

With The Slow Fix, Ivan returns to her short story roots in a collection that is disarming, warm, and funny, while it at the same time subverts our preconceived notions of gender roles. Ivan excels at finding the small yet significant truths in our everyday gestures and interactions. By doing so, she helps us to embrace not what makes us women or men, but human beings.

Ivan E. Coyote is the author of five books, all published by Arsenal Pulp Press. Born in Canada’s Yukon Territory, she lives in Vancouver, BC.

Genres: Queer, Short Stories, LGBT, Fiction, Canada, Transgender, Lesbian

152 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2008

About the author

Ivan Coyote was born and raised in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. An award-winning author of six collections of short stories, one novel, three CD’s, four short films and a renowned performer, Ivan’s first love is live storytelling, and over the last thirteen years they have become an audience favourite at music, poetry, spoken word and writer’s festivals from Anchorage to Amsterdam.

Ivan E. Coyote, die k.d. lang der kanadischen Literatur, stammt aus Whitehorse, Yukon, im äußersten Nordwesten Kanadas. Sie liebt Trucks, kleine Hunde, guten Kaffee, gescheite Frauen, Lederarbeiten, Tischlern, Geschichten erzählen, Angeln, Hockey, Knoten knüpfen, Kochen, auf Bäume klettern und ihren Mittagsschlaf. Heute lebt sie mit ihrer Partnerin in Vancouver. Ivan E. Coyote hat bereits fünf Erzählbände veröffentlicht und mit Als das Cello vom Himmel fiel ihren ersten Roman vorgelegt. Sie liebt es, Geschichten zu erzählen, und hat sich neben ihrem Schreiben auch als »Spoken Word«-Performerin einen Namen gemacht.

Reviews

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this is such a great hidden gem!

[Distant Sounds · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful insight into the life experiences of Ivan, told through short stories, as anecdotes, each just 3-4 pages in length. I learnt a good deal about life in the Yukon, life as someone who is non-binary, and as someone who is on the move a lot. Even though each story is over in the blink of an eye, they each carry their own weight in abundance, whether they make you laugh and smile, or carry a deep emotional tale. As a white, heterosexual male, there are many things I take for granted every day, especially when out in public, but these stories allowed to see inside a world that exists all around me, yet at the same time is mostly invisible.

Wherever you are Francis, I hope you are doing well.

[Care · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has some of my favourite Ivan Coyote stories of all time. I would definitely reread this volume. There are stories here that are so important, I wish every queer kid could read it, because many need it. I wish every ignorant Canadian who doesn't understand why gender neutral bathrooms are a necessity would read this book. Everyone who thinks it's okay to force kids into gendered boxes. I can't stress how lucky we are that Ivan is Canadian. Yukon pride is a strong feature in this book and I loved it.

[Heather(Gibby) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic set of very short short stories, which I thought were true stories but Goodreads lists as fiction. ??? Any who, I will definitely read more from Ivan E. Coyote who at times had me falling off my chair laughing, but at the same time tackled some big grown up discussions about gender identity and beign Queer in todays world.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this collection of stories. I enjoyed getting a glimpse into the life of Ivan.

[Elaine Burnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was terrific. A slim volume of short stories. She says they are fiction, but they read like personal essays--apparently culled from a column she writes. She's Canadian, living in Vancouver, BC (and thereabouts) and travels far and wide giving performances. Many of these are lovely character sketches of the folks she meets in her travels--little slices of life. There are also some lovely tales of being a modern butch, the good and the bad (I just had no idea how intimidating a public bathroom could be!). Would make a nice followup to Stone Butch Blues, to know that butches not only survived, they can thrive.

[Lbaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

The stories in this book show the maturing of the author.

I find it so easy to relate to the voice in this book, her extended family and friends are familiar, as I read each book by this author I find myself reading bits of it aloud to my daughters, my husband, anyone at hand. The humour is infectious, the insights touching and the informative. I must admit that before reading Ivan E. Coyote's books I had never given thought to public bathroom use by people who's gender is not apparent, and will probably think about it every time I use a public bathroom from now on.

I appreciate this author's skills and hope to read much more by her.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

These autobiographical short stories are phenomenal. Most are fewer than 5 pages long, many are about perceptions of gender, but all are about finding one's place in the world. In the end, they are about the folds of community, the weave of the fabric, and I was really impressed with the depth and feeling that Coyote conveys in such little space.

[Straw · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adore Ivan Coyote. His ability to document the experience of aging qender queers in this society gives voice to my feelings. Plus, he is one of the few people that was not a let down when I met him. As gentlemanly as one would imagine from the books. If you ever get a chance to see him read his work you should.

[Janet Bristeir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great writer

[Emerson Curtright · Rating 3 out of 5]

Less of a short story collection and more of a collection of short autobiographical vignettes. At times they are touching and poignant. I found myself relating to these short and sweet moments more than I could count. However, I wish these shorts had been fleshed out more so we could really linger on the sweet moments. I found that I also wished these stories had a more prominent narrative structure. Like I said, these are merely vignettes about what I can only assume are real moments in Coyote’s real life.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's kind of inspiring to read Ivan Coyote's publications out of chronological order - not that the stories mean more or less if they're in order, but to put in perspective the shifts of focus, identity, and politics that accompany and refine every publication. Especially fun to pick up threads of "Bow Grip" in this one, seeing the little mentions of people/places/things that influenced the novel. All of Ivan Coyote's charm, in little bite-sized stories.

[Brook · Rating 4 out of 5]

A series of delightful stories, that ranged all-over from family, to heritage, to figuring out masculinity. This was a sharp turn from a lot of what I read, but it was cute and kinda fun. A few stories were particularly touching, but many had a sort of same-ness, that a friend suggested came from them potentially being columns first?

[Vi · Rating 5 out of 5]

My wife picked this book up without reading anything about it and said that I needed this book in my life. She was so right. As a butch lesbian who lived in Alaska looking for companionship in so many who are so different, Ivan captures so many feelings I needed to hear when I was living there. Cannot recommend this book more!

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third collection of short stories I have read by Ivan Coyote. While I've rated each book four stars, I think this collection is my favorite.

As other reviewers have mentioned, these stories are quite short -- most are just four pages.

[Joe Vess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will read anything by Ivan Coyote. This book is as wonderful and captivating as all the others, just a joy to read. It's insightful, moving, funny, poignant, all rolled into one.

[Justina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never felt so connected to a book before and I have felt really connected to a lot of books. This is amazing.

[Maeve Ferris · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[lauryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

love learning abt my history and elders <3

[gabby · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75/5

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

[amblypyguy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy this authors work but it’s difficult to get past a half dozen jokes along the lines of “vegans, amirite?”

[Fred Langridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely collection of thoughts and anecdotes about life and queerness and family in the Yukon.

[Liam Ostermann · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first two paragraphs on the first page of the first story nearly ended my interest in this book as the author told us all about various important things learnt about how to be man such as:

1. Lighting a match off your front teeth
2. Opening a beer with a Bic lighter
3. Make a fist
4. Turn into a skid
5. Light a fire
6. Shoot a gun

to which I could only respond:

1. Why would you, matches come with something to strike on and who uses matches anyway?
2. Why would you? The author spent their teenage years in 1980's in Canada. I spent mine in rural Ireland and we had pull top cans and bottles with twist off lids, so unless Canada was more primitive then Ireland again I ask the question, why would you use a Bic lighter to open a beer?
3. I never had to be taught to make a fist and neither did my three sisters, though they were much better at using one then I was. Isn't making a fist something like breathing, something you just know?
4. I learnt that on my bike when I was 7? 8? very young anyway because that was the sixties and you had no protection when you fell off so you learnt pretty quick how to avoid it. Anyway I did learn to turn into a skid when I was taught to drive at the ridiculously old age of 21 - because in Ireland in the 1970's loads of families didn't have cars so it wasn't unusual. Wouldn't the author have learnt in Drivers Ed?
5. Lighting a fire is something babies do - building a fire is essential man and woman work in Ireland in the 1970's because almost no homes had central heating, warmth came from fires, as did hot water. If you couldn't build a fire in a grate you were lost.
6. The author has me on this one - no one outside the USA, and I guess Canada, regards running around with a loaded gun as an essential part of male adolescence.

My main annoyance with this sort of bollocks is that it is like so much of the stilted, repressed crap that I was fed throughout my childhood in 1960's USA were boys were supposed to be crew-cut, dungaree wearing, barefoot, tikes going off to a fishing hole all, 'Snips, snails And puppy-dogs' tails That's what little boys are made of' which is about as revolting an image as could imagine, but neither I nor any other boy I knew, friend or foe, was like that. In Ireland even fewer boys were like that the only ones who subscribed to similar red neck behaviour were the culchie, bog men farmers son from places even more remote from civilisation then boys coming from places like Skibbereen on Ireland's Dingle peninsula.

I then read some of the stories and they were nothing like as awful as I expected, but they underwhelmed me to such an extent that sleep was all they called forth - except when I got annoyed again when the author prattled on about the horrors of High School in Canada which seemed to follow a similar trope as High School in the USA. Maybe school in the USA between 14 and 18 is a particularly ghastly and traumatic time. I don't want to get into horror stories but physical chastisement of any sort was only abolished in Ireland in 1992 , in England and Wales 1998, Scotland 2000 and Northern Ireland 2003 and the 'instruments of punishments' used up to those dates were the sort of leather straps and canes that are only now available mail order from internet BDSM sites.

So I was going to give this story collection one star because it was so uninspiring then I remembered the author had lived through Trump and all his idiocies so I plumped for four stars, then remember they lived in Canada and docked them two stars cause I hadn't heard that Canada was the site of the sort of absurd stuff that goes on in the great (haha) nation south of her border. So I give it two stars but basically as a guilt vote, I will never read anything by this author again.

But there are plenty of glowing reviews on GR if you want a contrary opinion.

[Lindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ivan Coyote is a storyteller who was raised in the Yukon and now lives in Vancouver. This is her 4th collection of short stories... or should I say "his"? Ivan addresses this question in the piece titled "Imagine a Pair of Boots."

"I have always felt this way about gender pronouns, that 'she' pinches a little and 'he' slips off me too easily. I'm often asked by well-intentioned people which pronoun I prefer, and I always say the same thing: that I don't really have a preference, that neither pronoun really fits, but thank you for asking, all the same. Then I tell them they can call it like they see it, or mix it up a little if they wish."

The stories may be familiar to you if you are a regular reader of Xtra! West, since earlier versions appeared in Coyote's Loose End column. They are always good for a chuckle and certainly worth reading more than once. Check out the Xtra website and do a search for her name, if you want a sample. And watch for your next opportunity to hear him live, which is a huge treat.

[Coreena McBurnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love Ivan Coyote's storytelling. Her stories just draw me in and make me want to keep reading more.

This collection is a short story, memoir collection. She touches on a wide range of topics, though many of them involve how we view gender roles, but there are also other topics, such as family and growing up in the north. In the space of one story Coyote has the ability to make the reader laugh, cry, be entertained, be challenged, and think - quite a feat.

Coyote is clearly a master of her craft and I would love to get some of her audio recordings to hear her tell her stories. This is the second one of her books that I have read now, and the second one that I have raced though, telling myself that I'll read "just one more story" before I put it down.

[Arsenal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nominated for a 2008 Lambda Literary Award, Lesbian Fiction. The awards will be handed out at the gala in New York on May 28.

Here is a quote from Edge publications about The Slow Fix.

A masterful and powerful collection of stories that stirs the soul and challenges readers’ attitudes and preconceptions. Quite simply, it is a collection of stories that anyone should read regardless of race, age, or gender.... The Slow Fix, through stories that make the reader laugh and cry, is a brilliant addition to the ever-increasing canvas of gay and lesbian literature.
—EDGE Publications (Boston, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, et al)

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ordered this from the library after reading and liking Bow Grip. I wasn't sure what to expect because this book seems to be more heavily promoted as queer fiction - a designation I took to indicate the intended audience, not just the subject matter. Maybe I was wrong about that; this is definitely accessible to a wider audience. I enjoyed it immensely.

[Becc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just wish she could write 'em faster than I can read 'em! Loving these, if a little less than the last book I think due to having binged on its stories all in such quick succession. The next volume I order I'll try to be more disciplined with, doling them out one at a time rather than being the greedy pig I've been with this round. TRY, I said. No promises, cuz they're awfully more-ish. :)

[Mike Bull · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of short stories written in the first person by a Vancouver author and set primarily in British Columbia have to do with lesbian identity. They are full of humor, wit and sarcasm as well as heart touching moments. I picked this up at random from the library and finished it in no time. At the heart of the stories are themes of family and belonging.