The Middle-Aged Man and the Sea

by Christopher Meeks

Overview

Here is a story collection about love, death, humor, and the glue called family. In one narrative, a man wakes up one morning to find the odor of dead fish won't go away, but no one else can smell it. In another, a couple's visit with friends to watch the Academy Awards has the protagonist envying his friends' lawn and lifestyle. In these and eleven other stories, Christopher Meeks balances tragedy and wit. As novelist David Scott Milton explains, "In this collection, Christopher Meeks examines the small heartbreaks of quiet despair that are so much a part of all our lives. He does it in language that is resonant, poetic, and precise.... If you like Raymond Carver, you'll love Meeks. He may be as good--or better."

Product Details

BN ID:	2940013100244
Publisher:	White Whisker Books
Publication date:	08/16/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	153
File size:	684 KB

About the Author

Christopher Meeks was born in Minnesota, earned degrees from the University of Denver and USC, and has lived in Los Angeles since 1977. He's taught English at Santa Monica College, and creative writing at CalArts, UCLA Extension, Art Center College of Design, and USC. His fiction has appeared often in Rosebud magazine as well as other literary journals, and his books have won several Noble (not Nobel) Awards. His short works have been collected into two volumes, "The Middle-Aged Man and the Sea" and "Months and Seasons," the latter which appeared on the long list for the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award. He's had three plays produced, and "Who Lives?: A Drama" is published. His focus is now on longer fiction. His first novel is "The Brightest Moon of the Century," and his second, "Love At Absolute Zero."

Editorial Reviews

"Poignant and wise, sympathetic to the everyday struggles these characters face."

Los Angeles Times - Carmela Ciuraru

"A collection so stunning...that I could not help but move on to the next story."

Entertainment Weekly - POD Girl

"'The Middle-Aged Man and the Sea' is highly recommended, highly entertaining, and highly rewarding reading."

The Midwest Book Review - James Cox

"If the publishing and reading world is fair and just, Christopher Meeks is destined to be widely read and deservedly honored."

MyShelf.com - Carolyn Howard-Johnson

"Thirteen is an unlucky number for some, but not Meeks. In these thirteen, you'll find the charm of Tobias Wolff, the frailty of Paul Auster, the beauty of Raymond Carver, and at times even the transcendence of a Hal Hartley film."

Dogmatika - Susan Tomaselli