The History of Sound: Stories

Ben Shattuck is an American author, painter, and curator, born and raised in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. He attended Cornell University for undergraduate school and received his MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Since completing his degree at Iowa, Shattuck has moved back to his hometown, where he now owns and operates the oldest general store in America, Davoll’s General Store, originally established in 1793. He resides in Dartmouth with his wife, comedian Jenny Slate, and their daughter.

Shattuck’s personal history with and life in New England features in all his authorial publications. Prior to publishing The History of Sound, Shattuck published his memoir Six Walks: In the Footsteps of Henry David Thoreau with Tin House in 2022. Inspired by fellow New Englander Henry David Thoreau’s forest walks, Six Walks depicts Shattuck’s personal memories in the region while capturing his appreciation for the natural world. The title “was a New Yorker magazine Best Book of 2022, a Wall Street Journal Best Book of Spring, a New York Times Best Book of Summer, a New England Indie Bestseller, and a finalist for the Massachusetts Book Award” (“About.” Ben Shattuck).

Shattuck’s connection to New England history also shines through the 12 short stories collected in The History of Sound. Almost all the stories are set in New England states and examine how the region’s history relates to the characters’ personal experiences. The collection’s title short story, “The History of Sound,” first appeared in The Common in 2018, and has since been published in the Pushcart Anthology and adapted for the screen. The film was released in 2025 and stars Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor. The linked structure of his short story collection is reminiscent of other similar titles including Elizabeth Strout’s Olive Kitteridge, Denis Johnson’s Jesus’s Son, and Morgan Talty’s Night of the Living Rez.