Tales From The Mall
We all love the Mall. The latest must-haves, convenience, clothes, entertainment, and refreshment - all you’ll ever need under one roof. It’s the place of opportunity and choice, is it not? A place where the shiny, happy people hang out, where dreams are made and where we can gather and converse in a setting that brings communities together, right?
Think again.
In his groundbreaking new project, Tales from the Mall, acclaimed Scottish writer and filmmaker Ewan Morrison peels away the beautiful, memorable, fermenting, changing and even dead layers of Mall culture and exposes how the myths and promises of consumerism that we bought into have been broken up piece by piece.
Backed by years of considered and varied research, he ruthlessly grab us by the lapels and hold a mirror up to our dependence on such structures and how they have become an elemental part of our lives. He also examines the debris that Malls have left in their wake, highlighting a landscape in which anything outside the paths laid by multi-national conglomerates now seems unobtainable and even insignificant.
The book is compiled of the three elements: anecdotes personally told to Morrison by staff and customers of Malls, mini-essays and fragments of information in non-fiction sections and finally, fictional short stories exploring the impact of consumerism and Mall culture on individual lives. These elements are then filed into relevant ‘areas’ of the Mall. Starting with the infamous ‘You are here,’ Morrison navigates the reader through a reading experience that extends beyond its own novelty and is immediately exciting, important and engrossing.
We see the ‘Store Guide’ first, which is where the ten fictional short stories in this book are. By zooming in on individuals (here and also within the real-life anecdotes), we discover life stories that are not simply situations played out within the setting of a Mall, but are part of its fabric, spawned from it organically and not there simply as consequence. The stories are not all in one place, you have to make your way through various areas of the Mall to find them.
First, you’ll visit the Food Court – the title of a personal story for Morrison, brilliantly narrated from different points of view and one which portrays the Mall as an unlikely place of healing for one man and his family.
The standout story from this section (untitled) is a disturbing one of a man for whom consumerism and the rise of Malls has served as an escape from his childhood demons. But discover why, when he is ready to turn back and face them, he has the chance of resolution stripped from him. Stunning imagery and a vivid sense of foreboding run through this story, leaving you with a surreal feeling of wanting to run.
The story of Recycling is told through the eyes of woman who is suffering the monotony of ten years on the checkout at Boots. Beautifully written and laced with Scottish dialect, it’s an addictive and moving tale about the hopelessness of feeling the ‘déjà’s’ over and over and the liberation when we either fight against it or accept it. The effect this has on the woman’s relationship with her mother is tenderly handled in an exceedingly emotive ending.
The longer story of Exits and shorter Babycare reveal the lonely, compulsive side of marketing and how people in the industry may see others in terms of demographics only, preventing them from forging real, meaningful relationships. The broken promise of social mobility and the fact that we are indeed very unlikely to move from our societal and economic position is also brought home to roost in the exceedingly affecting ending to Babycare.
Changing is one of the longer stories here and is a cleverly crafted take on one woman’s inability to extract herself from not only her past, but from the expectations she feels society is placing upon her, triggered by her employer struggling to survive against a newer company. The effect of this upon her mental health and decision making is delicately explored and its honesty may sit uncomfortably with some.
In Borders, we see the obsessions of a young couple that cause their lives to spiral out of control – and Morrison does an immaculate job of maintaining the exquisite, obsessive tension right to the cathartic conclusion. The final story You are Here skilfully brings the reader full-circle and offers a glimpse into the possible future for Malls, inducing a novel-like experience with the closure it offers.
In between the ‘stores’, you visit the Customer Information desk. Here, you’ll find accessible essays and information that enrich the fictional stories and anecdotes. Think you know why ‘Mall maps’ are positioned the way they are? Why would the first Mall developer go to his grave with a heavy heart? What could be contrived about the naming of a Mall? What have cows got to do with anything? Is the positioning of shops in a Mall purely incidental? The answers to these are just a sample of what is to be learned. Additionally, we are taken through an entertaining and succinct history of the Mall from its origins in Ancient Greece to the present day.
The rest of the sections consist of the anecdotes told to Morrison. You are taken to Mall security, where you will discover the process of guarding a Mall is anything but mundane. The anecdotes chosen for this section show how the simplest of behaviour from others can un-nerve us when it’s outside of our value base or comfort zone. Vasyl and the Empty Space is a particularly poignant story of a Ukraine immigrant escaping the Eastern bloc and experiencing a Mall for the first time. Morrison has done a formidable job in mirroring an empty space in the mall with the hollowness the character experiences; and how Vasyl ironically (and sadly) ends up working in security and searching for his own daughter on the CCTV cameras.
We go to the car park to meet the lone guard there, who, if you give him a chance, would love every much to share his stories with you – and he does, a remarkable one, superbly retold, about The Price of Life. Also learn in this section what cross dressing and a YouTube phenomenon has to do with has to do with a car on the top floor.
In the staff only areas, in Beethoven and the Toxic Trolley Dolly Dance, discover the source of a smell so bad, it warrants a whole floor being closed down. An anecdote so shocking, you just couldn’t make it up. The final story of this section, Chalkmarks, would not be out of place in a contemporary collection of horror stories. It’s an utterly horrifying tale of what really lies behind the Mall walls - and a work of art which illustrates Morrison’s absolute command of language.
Another stand out story comes from the Shopmobilty/Disabled access section, The Three Degrees and a Non-Event. Picture this: an old lady scooting around a shopping centre on a shopmobility vehicle trying to eat a cheese and coleslaw sandwich whilst being chased by security. A comical image that Morrison uses incredibly to demonstrate the heartbreaking impact of Malls on those whose sense of community was fundamental to their lives.
Tales from the Mall generally serves as a stunning showcase of Morrison’s versatility as a writer. From cleverly crafted literary pieces and captivating narrative, to horrifying imagery and thought-provoking history and facts, Morrison attends to the holistic needs of the modern reader, offering an emotional, stimulating, terrifying and nostalgic experience. With the literary market flooded with amateurism, this book stands a beacon of quality and as an important, progressive landmark. Additionally, there is also a digital experience to be had. Follow any of the links below and discover short films, animations and audios from the project.
The truth about Malls and consumerism as uncovered by Morrison sometimes masquerades as cynicism and makes a little of the reading hard to swallow, but trust me, after reading this, you won’t want your name written on a coffee-cup at Starbucks. Instead you’ll grab one from a greasy-spoon, made by a man called Joe.
P.S. The retro book-jacket is wonderful, darling.
Ewan Morrison's book Tales from the Mall contains 49 real-life stories from shopping malls in the UK. Out now in paperback, e-book and app. Published by Cargo.
‘TALES FROM THE MALL’ BOOK TRAILER - www.youtube.com/watch?v=vq-ToLyUp9s&feature=plcp
CARGO PUBLISHING WEBSITE - www.cargopublishing.com/tales-from-the-mall/
EWAN MORRISONS WEBSITE - www.ewanmorrison.com/
LIKE ‘TALES FROM THE MALL’ ON FACEBOOK - www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/malltales
Dawn Purcell
ttp://www.femalefirst.co.uk/books/Dawn+Purcell-247620.html
See Interview with Ewan here!