I Got Somebody in Staunton: Stories [Paperback]

In twelve graceful, sensual stories, William Henry Lewis traces the line between the real and the imaginary, acknowledging the painful ghosts of the past in everyday encounters. Written in a style that has been acclaimed by our finest writers, from Edward P. Jones and Nikki Giovanni to Dave Eggers,I Got Somebody in Stauntonis one of the most highly praised literary events to take on contemporary America.

In the title story, a young professor befriends an enigmatic white woman in a bar along the back roads of Virginia, but has second thoughts about driving her to a neighboring town as his uncle's stories of lynchings resonate through his mind. Another tale portrays a Kansas City jazz troupe's travels to Denver, where they hope to strike it big. Meanwhile, a man in the midst of paradise must decide whether he will languish or thrive.

With I Got Somebody in StauntonLewis has lyrically and unflinchingly chronicled the lives of those most often neglected.

Lewis is an exceptionally promising new writer&intelligent and skilled and very interesting, with a sharp and compassionate eye.A storyteller with a superb sense of place... Evocative stories with a potent kick.Thoughtful, appealing...unquestionably powerful.Lyrical, risk-taking collection. Lewis renders beautifully the sadness of both those left behind and those whove done the leaving.Sentence by sentence, this deeply felt and lyrical collection proves that Lewis is a master of the short story.Lewiss new collection of stories is tender, ironic, disturbing, and always poetic. His work is a treasure.These are quiet, deadly stories, beautifully rendered and exquisitely American.The art of the short story is seduction. And how lovely it is to visit with this amazing voice.Lewis beautifully renders the odd, quiet moments before and after lifes explosive events>Moving but unsentimental, these are stories of hard-won wisdom, potent intelligence, and compassion for the lc®