Description

Nobody’s perfect, but some of us—mostly men—are blinded by our hubris and baser urges. Judgment is impeded. Mistakes are made. The stories in this collection, many of them set outside the U.S., explore some of the consequences of these common failings.

Praise for House of the Ancients and Other Stories

In his story collection House of the Ancients, Clifford Garstang sets before the reader a tiered Crayola box full of modern American males. A variety of different shades await inside—troubled, thoughtful, arrogant, and broken men, each trying to find his place in a changing society. Be prepared to hate some of them. Be prepared to weep for some of them. Be prepared to weep for the ones you hate. Fascinating, insightful, equal parts poignant and disturbing, House of the Ancients will keep you reading deep into the lonely night.

—Kim Wright, author of Last Ride to Graceland, winner of the Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction

Clifford Garstang’s impressive collection arrives like a rush of postcards from around the world, streaming in through the morning mail slot. Mexico City, Bangkok, Hanoi, Copenhagen, Central Asia and the hinterlands of Virginia are only a few of the locales he transports us to in these memorable stories. And at each stop along the way, we’re greeted by another cast of characters, eager to enchant, charm and delight.

—Tim Wendel, award-winning author of Castro’s Curveball and Cancer Crossings

The characters in Clifford Garstang's House of the Ancients and Other Stories travel the world. But no matter how far they go—Denmark, Mexico, Vietnam—they can't escape themselves. It is the collection's flawed and fascinating characters as much as Garstang's exquisite evocations of international settings that make House of the Ancients a wonderful reading experience.

—Mark Brazaitis, author of The Incurables and The River of Lost Voices: Stories from Guatemala

Where won’t Clifford Garstang travel in his urgent quest to explore the darker corners of the male mind? These incisive, pitch-perfect short stories sweep through a dazzling realm of exotic locales, pushing the reader into an uncomfortable and daring consideration of culpability.

—Leslie Pietrzyk, author of Silver Girl and This Angel on My Chest