This exceptional collection shows Gifford at the height of his powers, navigating with ease the new, more fragmented imaginative landscape of post-9/11 America. Gifford seems to have anticipated themes that suddenly are recognisable everywhere: the fragility of identity; the power of coincidence; the illusion of a secure future. In contrast to his often nightmarish novels of the 1990s, Wild At Heart, Perdita Duranga, and Night People, this is a gentle overture, a submission of grace and beauty at a time when cultural discourse has moved in the opposite direction.

Author Biography

Barry Gifford's book Night People was awarded the Premio Brancati in Italy, and he has been the recipient of awards from PEN, the National Endowment for the Arts, the American Library Association, and the Writers Guild. David Lynch's film based on Wild at Heart won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1990, and Gifford co-wrote with Lynch the film Lost Highway, as well as the screen-play City of Ghosts with director Matt Damon. His recent books The Rooster trapped in the Reptile Room, and American Falls are also available from Turnaround.