A Tale of Pierrot and Other Stories

The work of George Dennison, fiction (Luisa Domic and nonfiction (his classic of alternative education, The Lives of Children alike, is studded with unexpected insights and observations. Written over the last 25 years, this collection of seven stories, two of novella length, reaffirms Dennison as a writer worthy of attention. Several tales have artistspoets and playwrightsas protagonists, passionate characters who, seeking meaning in their lives and questioning everything, come into conflict with those around them. In the title story, set in a small Provencal town some time in the past, a narrator evokes his brilliant charismatic uncle, undone when his extraordinary prowess at high jumping excites the ire of a jealous worldand who then devotes himself to the study of bird flight. In ""Shawno,'' a man tells of the dogs in his life in the New England countryside, and in particular of his own beloved canine, who connects him to nature in new and deeply meaningful ways. Dennison has a generous and unusual vision. (July)