One Hundred Apocalypses and Other Apocalypses

Set in the past, present and an undefinable future, Corin's (Everyday Psycho-killers) collection of stories, fables, anecdotes, prose poems and situational musings center not just on the end of the world, but the rapture of existence. A greedy soldier meets a witch who could be his mother on the road home from war and uncovers jewels in deep holes guarded by giant dogs, high school kids take refuge in a snowy cave while California burns and parents, glued to TV's, sit in bed with trays of cheese sandwiches . Couples, families, brothers, lovers, meth addicts , and drunken zombies cope with what is left after loss. In the short piece "Questions in Significantly Smaller Font" (the title is quite literal, you may need a magnifying glass) Corin asks: "What will the apocalypse mean for narrative?" The answer may not come so easily, but the craft and language makes the journey quite satisfying. With stories within stories and tiny typeface preceded by two sentence tales, this fulfilling maze, guided by a constant theme, is an eye-opening, enlightening read. Agent: PJ Mark, Janklow & Nesbit Associates. (Aug.)