Author:Donald Ray Pollock
In 'Fish Sticks', Del is washing his one good pair of black jeans on the eve of his cousin's funeral. He imagines he can hear the sea off the Florida coast in the rumblings of the machines, and casts his mind back to a trip the two made to Florida when they were teenagers.
In 'Rainy Sunday', Sharon's husband hasn't been quite right since he crashed the car and wound up with a steel plate in his head. Wet weather tends to set him off on one of his spells. Reluctantly, Sharon leaves him alone and takes off on a late-night mission to help her aunt find some company.
Part of the Storycuts series, these two short stories were previously published in the collection Knockemstiff.
It is a tribute to Lee Langley's controlled style and wit that by the end you long to start the book again.
—— Daily TelegraphA stunning collection of short stories, each of which stands alone, yet is satisfyingly linked . . . Langley is a talented chronicler of the human condition.
—— Daily MailA series of delicately fashioned cameos . . . tantalising and satisfying.
—— Sunday Times