The book includes 15 stories, a seven-page intro by Steve Almond, author of (Not That You Asked) and Candyfreak, and cover art and 8 illustrations by Eduardo Recife. Stories are thematically linked, as suggested by the title. We Were Ugly So We Made Beautiful Things . . . out of Wood, out of Pigs, out of Stairs, out of Somersaults, out of Brass, out of Magic, etc. The stories explore, with gentle humor and intelligence, the desires to create, build, salvage, and improve.
Several stories are connected by the same character, a young boy growing up who imagines he can fly above the staircase and does, with fearsome results. In another story, he creates worlds in his basement from the junk accumulated by his unhappy parents. As a fourth-grader, he helps a geeky kid overcome his isolation and fear on the soccer field. And, finally, as a young man, he interviews for a job that promises what it can’t deliver, and he confronts his own future, his own dreams, in a single moment.
Scott Neumyer: "An amazing triumph for an amazing writer. Barringer's book proves that fiction can transcend the mundane and shows that the beautiful can come from practically anything. These stories will wiggle their way into your heart and not let up until you're pacing around the room wondering what beautiful things you can make. Read this book. Now."
Zoe Trope: "Frightening and necessary. Maybe frighteningly necessary. My favorite piece is 'Out of Pounds,' which made me laugh and then cringe because I, too, am a fat girl on a bike. Read it. Read it now."
Ryan Robert Mullen: "This is a beautiful volume that reads like a collection of avant-garde film. Illustrations and cover design by Eduardo Recife and an intense introduction from Steve Almond (author of My Life in Heavy Metal) complement the thematically linked stories to a tee. Each story completes the phrase 'We were ugly so we made beautiful things out of...' in pieces ranging from concrete fiction to poetic onslaughts. A marvelous array of wonderfully weird personalities come to life with concise but vivid characterizations. There is a certain sense of paranoia and wit in Barringer's sharp sociological observations that give the impression of a proud laughing captain on a sinking ship. That Barringer understands something of people and the world is painfully evident. Buy this book and support not only one of the finest emerging presses but rare and prolific small-press writers who are continuing the American literary tradition of [making] new things, out of. . . ."
