Kingston writer Richard Cumyn’s second book of short stories is a remarkable collection of fiction about the curse of modernity–displacement. In striking scenes Cumyn subtly explores our own sense of abandonment and loneliness in the face of change, movement and loss. Cumyn’s prose is sparse and direct, the violence supressed beneath the surface casual and foreboding. His characters are at once familiar and eerily distinct, their relationships a tender blend of heartbreak and affection. Separations achieved through illness, betrayal, aging, necessity, choice or dismissal represent an emotional x-ray of a society looking for permanence in an increasingly fluid and precarious world. This collection will haunt you like a shadow creeping over a suburban street– all the landmarks appear familiar but each door leads to unimagined worlds. Great stories await there.

Richard Cumyn was born in Ottawa and has degrees in english and education from Queen's University. He is the fiction editor for The Antigonish Review and has published four collections of short fiction: The Limit of Delta Y Over Delta X (Goose Lane), I Am Not Most Places (Beach Holme), Viking Brides (Oberon), and The Obstacle Course (Oberon). Cumyn's short stories have appeared in many Canadian literary publications, including The Journey Prize Anthology. He lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Richard Cumyn's profile page