cover image STORIES FROM THE BLUE MOON CAF II: An Anthology of Southern Writers

STORIES FROM THE BLUE MOON CAF II: An Anthology of Southern Writers

, . . MacAdam/ Cage, $25 (361pp) ISBN 978-1-931561-43-3

Eclectic, unpretentious and enjoyable, this collection of short stories, poetry and nonfiction is the second installment in the Blue Room Café series, edited by Brewer, owner of an Alabama bookstore and director of the annual literary event Southern Writers Reading. The majority of the book is high quality fiction, much of it by authors little known outside the Deep South. The opening story by Larry Brown, "A Roadside Resurrection," is a gritty tale of a dying man and a healer who is cursed by his gift for healing. In William Gay's "Homecoming," a man drops in on wealthy relatives and finds the rich have more problems than he ever imagined. In Michelle Richmond's "Choose Your Travel Partner Wisely," a woman finds out more than she wants to know about her husband during a tropical holiday. Another husband and wife grow apart in "Orphans," by Donald Hays, in which an Oklahoma dentist finds God and moves to Russia to found an orphanage, his skeptical wife trailing behind. The strong nonfiction entries include "My Heroes Have Always Been Grill Cooks: Rumination on William Price Fox's Southern Fried," by John T. Edge, an insightful piece presented in a style recalling Fox's famous staccato delivery. Among the poems, the most moving is David Fuller's "Linda Wahlthal," in which a man wonders whatever became of his first love. Brewer's anthology must compete for shelf space with other, longer-established series, but the pleasing array of fresh voices and discerning selection of material makes this a welcome alternative. (Aug.)