The News of the World: Stories

Carlson resembles the father in one of his loveliest stories, ""The H Street Sledding Record,'' a man who throws manure on his roof every Christmas Eve to convince his children that reindeer landed there. In these brief tales that immediately capture the reader with their vitality and sense of immediacy, Carlson (Betrayed by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Truants attempts to preserve some illusions, to maintain that the simple rituals of life can and should provide pleasure and continuity. Most of the 16 stories in this collection are about ``ordinary'' people: couples in small towns trying to make marriages work; parents concerned with 2 a.m. feedings. Carlson writes realistically, but with optimism; compassion motivates his characters. Even when the stories take a whimsical turn, as in``Bigfoot Stole My Wife,'' a monologue by a man who says he can smell traces of the monster in his kitchen, Carlson shows a keen understanding of people's needs for connection and community. It is a treat to read these simple but polished stories about the possibility of love. (January 12)