Road To Nowhere And Other New Stories From The Southwest

The Southwest of the twenty-first century is full of surprises, and so is this collection of southwestern short stories published between 2007 and 2011. The writers represented here remind us that this is not the “Old Southwest” of gunfighters and sagebrush but, instead, a place of rock collectors, palm readers, and Russian mail-order brides. Well-known authors like Sallie Bingham, Ron Carlson, Laura Furman, and Dagoberto Gilb are joined here by exciting newcomers Eddie Chuculate, Don Waters, Claire Vaye Watkins, and others.

"An anthology of short fiction featuring Southwestern themes. All selections were originally published between January 2007 and December 2011"--Provided by publisher.

Set in southwestern New Mexico, the stories in James Terry's stunning debut explore the joys, insecurities, and failures of memorable characters as they attempt to connect with--or disconnect from--others around them. The elderly landlady of the Darling Courts apartments hires a reclusive handyman who suffers from a fear of water, and the pair forms an unlikely bond. A worker's unscrupulous plan to build a road in the middle of the desert is threatened by a lonely pregnant woman living in a trailer parked directly in his path. Overcome by nostalgia, a married trucker making the California run from Waco to Los Angeles takes a truck-stop waitress to the Deming drive-in theater with disappointing results. Together, these surprising stories uncover how our environment manifests itself in our everyday lives.

NANO Fiction (print ISSN 1935-844X; digital ISSN 2160-939X) is non-profit literary journal that publishes flash fiction—a form of short story also known as micro fiction, micro narrative, micro-story, microrrelatos, postcard fiction, the short short, the short short story, kürzestgeschichten, and sudden fiction—of 300 words or fewer. Featuring twenty to thirty authors in each issue, NANO Fiction has roots that draw from Aesop’s Fables and Zen Koans. Notable practitioners of this prose form include Lydia Davis, Franz Kafka, Italo Calvino, Ignacio Martínez de Pisón, Naguib Mahfouz, and Linor Goralik, among others. This issue of NANO Fiction features works by: Allie Marini Batts, Barr Bielinski, Becky Bosshart, Cian Cruise, Chella Courington, Justin Lawrence Daugherty, Stephanie Dickinson, Barbara Westwood Diehl, Alisa Golden, Katy Gunn, Casey Hannan, Katie Jean Shinkle, Chase Holland, D. Seth Horton, Lisa Marie Hunter, Paul Kavanagh, Jacqueline Kharouf, Edan Lepucki, Matthew Mahaney, Laura McCullough, Wendy Merry, Vilaska Nguyen, Meg Pokrass, Jessica Probus, Laurence Ross, Forrest Roth, Woody Skinner, J. David Stevens, Laurie Stone, Vanessa Angelica Villarreal, Andrew Wickenden, Russ Woods, and Jacob Wren.

Short fiction about people on the edge that “masterfully balances the absurd, the horrific, and the humorous” (Booklist). The characters in Inappropriate Behavior teeter on the brink of sanity, while those around them reach out in support, watch helplessly, or duck for cover. In their loneliness, they cast about for a way to connect, to be understood, though more often than not, things go horribly wrong. Some of the characters come from the darkest recesses of American history. In ‘Lubbock Is Not a Place of the Spirit,’ a Texas Tech student recognizable as John Hinckley, Jr. writes hundreds of songs for Jodie Foster as he grows increasingly estranged from reality. Other characters are recognizable only in the sense that their situations strike an emotional chord. The young couple in ‘The Thing About Norfolk,’ socially isolated after a cross-country move, are dismayed to find themselves unable to resist sexually deviant urges. And in the deeply touching title story, a couple stretched to their limit after the husband’s layoff struggle to care for their emotionally unbalanced young son. Set in cities across America and spanning the last half-century, this collection draws a bead on our national identity, distilling our obsessions, our hauntings, our universal predicament. “Gripping and accomplished . . . These stories will be compared with works by Barry Hannah and Denis Johnson.” —Janet Peery, National Book Award finalist and author of The Exact Nature of Our Wrongs

Revealing the Southwest as home to some of the most entertaining writers in twenty-first century fiction, this collection features a wonderfully diverse array of authors, including Alberto Álvaro Ríos, Ron Carlson, José Skinner, Tacey M. Atsitty, and Kirstin Valdez Quade.

Wind-carved red rocks, brightly-painted adobe houses, and miles of open desert road: explore the beauty of the Southwest with Moon Southwest Road Trip. Maps and Driving Tools: More than 30 easy-to-use maps keep you oriented on and off the highway, along with site-to-site mileage, driving times, detailed directions for the entire route, and full-color photos throughout Eat, Sleep, Stop and Explore: With lists of the best hikes, views, and more, you can revel in the glitz of Las Vegas, shop the markets of Santa Fe, and savor flavorful Tex-Mex cuisine. Marvel at the sandstone spires of Monument Valley and the cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde National Park, or go mountain biking in Moab or swimming in Havasu Falls Flexible Itineraries: Drive the entire two-week road trip, or follow strategic routes like a Route 66 road trip or a week-long tour of the national parks, as well as suggestions for spending time in Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, Zion and Bryce, Arches and Canyonlands, Santa Fe, and Taos Local Expertise: Road warrior and Arizona local Tim Hull shares his love of the Southwest How to Plan Your Trip: Know when and where to get gas and how to avoid traffic, plus tips for driving in different road and weather conditions and tips for seniors, road-trippers with kids, and disability access Moon Southwest Road Trip covers: New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and Nevada With Moon Southwest Road Trip's practical tips, flexible itineraries, and local know-how, you're ready to fill up the tank and hit the road. Looking to explore more of America on wheels? Try Moon California Road Trip. Spending more time in the Southwest? Check out Moon Arizona & the Grand Canyon, Moon New Mexico, or Moon Utah.