Gam Stevenson recounts his lifelong infatuation with his stepmother, Mrs. Randall and how World War I changed his town

Mrs. Randall

Literature & Fiction

Leland, Christopher T.

United States

Mariner Books

Lila Mae, a religious woman who works at an old-age home, finds her life unexpectedly changed by Wellesley Coe

The Book of Marvels

Scribner

Whether it is romantic, parental, or platonic, we all aspire to find perfect love, even though we know love is notoriously imperfect. Depending on the lover and the beloved, love can be unrequited, blind, feigned, cowardly, confused, and even murderous. In this compelling new collection, Christopher T. Leland explores the notion of such imperfect love in eighteen stories, as characters struggle to understand both love's essential strangeness and its shifting meaning over time. While each story points to the tremendous task of understanding the human heart, each also suggests that the notion of loving-even at its most violent and terrible-is a gift. In the moment of murder, the nameless narrator of "Traveler" loves his victim just as estranged friends and former lovers Esther and Tim still somehow love each other in "Reprise." Young husband and wife Del and Dora love each other despite the pressures of war, meddling families, and childbirth in "How the Coe Boys Got Their Names," as Gogan loves his uncle even though the uncle's violence becomes too much to bear in "Last Frontier." Even the horrified father of "Swim" grants to his mad son an opportunity to control his own destiny, while the sentimental father of "Peach Queen" offers to his son a talisman of their bond.Leland's deftly crafted characters and narratives find their power in the thrilling space between love and uncertainty, distress, and even terror. Fans of short fiction will enjoy the profound and intriguing stories in Love/Imperfect.

Love/Imperfect (Made in Michigan Writer Series)

Short Stories & Anthologies

Wayne State University Press

Presents advice on creating a great piece of fiction, covering such aspects as basic structure and characterization, to tantalizing readers with a narrative "striptease"

The Art of Compelling Fiction

Writers' Digest Books

Textbook rules about punctuation and grammar can be difficult to apply to your novel, short story, personal essay or memoir. There are special considerations that normal style manuals just don't address. This resource saves you time, while giving you the guidance you need to edit your manuscript with confidence.

Creative Writer's Style Guide: Rules and Advice for Writing Fiction and Creative Nonfiction

Story Pr

David Hilliard

Arts & Photography

Hilliard, David

Photography & Video

Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Leland, Christopher T.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Leland, Christopher T.