Four decades of developing a narrative style are compressed into this short collection of fiction. These little tales parallel a larger body of work composing novels, with the purpose of crafting a unique vision of the mystery of human existence. An unbridled idealism confronted by reality, the large and small catharses that shape characters still do not quite prepare them to meet the challenges that come. Portrayed sometimes with humor, sometimes by the devastating tragedy so deeply part of our experience, they offer glimpses through a window, at unexpected moments, into something eternal, promising a breathtaking transfiguration of our nature.