In a twist on the Faust legend, an embittered creative writing teacher by the name of Olwen Sheridan meets a charismatic young student who appears to have everything: looks, money and the confidence that comes with having both. His own life series of disappointments, Olwen believes himself accursed; but the young man, who calls himself Silvanus, assures him he isn't, intimating that Olwen could have anything he wanted if he so chose, including a dazzling writing career. Palpable Obscure is a tour of a man's life, in all its passion and shame, and a story of how meaning seems to elude us the...

In the Skid Row area of downtown Los Angeles, Malachi has become the stuff of legend, his influence, for good or ill, felt by not only the men and women who sleep on the streets but by the lawyers, police officers and shopkeepers who spend their days there. No one knows who Malachi is, though some people think he may be responsible for the murder of an unidentified man. But who is Malachi and what is it about him that could have left such an indelible impression on eight people who attempt to answer these questions; and, in so doing, tell the story of a city, a city imploding under the weight...