Two of the stories here are original to this volume, with the other 11 having appeared elsewhere. The title of the first story, “Gentle Insanities,” is fitting not just for that story but for a lot of them. Matthews has the ability to present what seems like a standard situation and then take it somewhere entirely unexpected. A number of these stories have appeared in “year’s best” collections. Read a few and you’ll understand why.
Naomi Hirahara’s powerful new book, Clark and Division, follows the Ito family in 1944.
"For me, the books I read were the call—the call to adventure, to thinking, to acknowledging other points of view. But to complete the ritual, I needed to respond."
I am surrounded by books. Every room, every space in my large, sprawling 1750s house is full of books...
Our history and experiences can define us, inspire our actions, and as writers impact our words and stories. Mine most definitely has: my father was a small-time gangster. Really.
"My ah-ha moment came when I read The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald.... That was it for me – I was off to the races."
Nietzsche once wrote, “There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.”
"Mystery books were daring and exciting, firing up my imagination and making me yearn to become a girl detective or even a secret agent. They also empowered me to make up impromptu ghost stories around the campfire for my Girl Scout troop and sneak into the cemetery at night on a dare."
Fire and Ashes, the latest Angela Richman Death Investigator mystery, is an exploration of a fatal fire. To research this novel, Viets delved into the devastating consequences of junk science and arson investigations.
Nonfiction J. J. Hainsworth |
Nonfiction Bernard A. Drew |
Nonfiction Lee Goldberg |
