Okay, so size and weight of the book selection had something to do with it since it’s a take-along on a brief trip, but I’ve been wanting to read a novel by William Gay since I read one of his short stories in the creative writing class last semester. Read a couple pages to make sure I could get into it, and this, from the Prologue, hooked me in:
What the hell is that, the superintendent said.
In the splintered glass of this transparent crypt lay diminutive human bones of a marvelous delicacy. Bones fragile and fluted as a bird’s, tiny skull with eyeholes black and blind, thin as paper, brittle as parchment. Scattered as if cast in a necromancer’s divination, as if there might be pattern to them, order.
It looks ike there was somebody in there, Risner said lamely.
The Lost Children: A Charity Anthology
I stumbled upon your blog just a moment ago, and must say, thank you. Judging from that prologue you have introduced me to a stellar writer.
Certainly an heir, or at least descendant, of McCarthy.
That’s the way to find some of these writers I suppose! I just happened upon him in BASS 2007 and loved his short story “When your skin can no longer contain you” and was happy to find the same quality writing here in the novel. Haven’t had a chance to read in the past few days, but will be posting as I move along in it.