I Am Dangerous: Stories by Greg Johnson

Johnson's third collection of stories (most of them previously published in various literary magazines) portrays troubled fathers, frightened children and ineffectual mothers as they try to avoid their fates. A too-passionate fan of internal monologue, he tells these stories as reports from the front by characters who are alone with their thoughts much of the time, but makes up for the lack of immediacy and dramatic scenes with vivid, convincing descriptions. A pair of suede gloves in Saks slowly reminds a teenage girl of happier days with her father a decade before, specifically the year he received a suede coat for Christmas. A nameless first-person narrator's recollections of the devout class pariah in parochial school involve a gorgeous description of the stark glare of classroom fluorescent lights when the sky outside darkens before a storm. The narratives can be chilling----brothers go crazy, a new father leaves home indefinitely--but for the most part, Johnson's portrayals ring true and the characters do find their way to less-than-graceful escapes, despite a good deal of physical and emotional violence. An added plus--Atlanta residents and visitors will enjoy the numerous landmarks strewn throughout the collection. (July)