Short stories, American--Collections

This short story collection is a meditation on happenstance and circumstance as played
out in each character's life often catalyzed through the introduction of an unknown
element: whether that element be a new character, perspective, or knowledge.
Stylistically, the voice of the narration is colorful and humorous though the subject
matter may be of the melancholic or macabre variety. The point of view changes from
first to third, depending on the story and main character; however, the unifying factors
of this collection is that each character is changed because of a loss, whether metaphoric
or literal.

This is a collection of short stories that deal with elements of identity, the
fantastic, fragmentation, poetry, the media, politics, and myriad other themes. The stories
are connected by an interwoven thread of self-discovery and awareness. These stories
present an image and then rework it, giving greater or varied details about whatever is
being describing in the hope of achieving a more visceral story, a more true experience of
writing and reading, and a better understanding of the emotions that underlie the story.
These stories also try to capture and communicate the idea that our experience is a
common one, across time and cultures, and the idea that many, many more writers than I
could ever read in my lifetime have written about this experience.