As Sparks Fly Upward is about a young man's inability to come to terms with the death of his father. Joe Duncan's father was an alcoholic, and Joe is well on the ways of becoming one himself. His hometown's condemnation of what happened to his father along with the unwillingness to provide his father with a decent funeral turns Joe against that community. He learns not to trust even those that do care for him. Joe's rejection of organized religion is tied to his distaste of the small-mindedness of a community that wouldn't accept someone like Joe or Joe's father into its circle.
As Sparks Fly Upward is about a young man's inability to come to terms with the death of his father. Joe Duncan's father was an alcoholic, and Joe is ...
Tidings of Calm and Storm contains a dozen short stories of Midwest life in the U.S. throughout the 20th Century. Every story here is concise, intelligent and clearly written. This collection starts with a stark and violent stopover in "Indian Joe," and ends with a mysterious sojourn taken by the protagonist in "Communing With Angels." Though we can read each story separately, all of the stories are interconnected. The author once described the story "From Sparks to Flame" as being "about a harsh but potentially magical world that is slowly being gutted-out by small-mindedness." Other stories...
Tidings of Calm and Storm contains a dozen short stories of Midwest life in the U.S. throughout the 20th Century. Every story here is concise, intelli...
