The sixteen short stories featured in Skip Horack’s prize-winning debut collection paint a richly textured vision of the American South. Set in the Gulf Coast over the course of a year torn halfway by the arrival of Hurricane Katrina, these stories, filled with humor, restraint, and verve, follow the lives of an assembly of unforgettable characters. An exonerated ex-con who may not be entirely innocent, a rabbit farmer in mourning, and an earnest young mariner trying to start a new life with his wife—all are characters that populate the spirited cities and drowsy parishes in Horack’s marvelous portrait of the South. A knockout winner for guest judge Antonya Nelson,
The Southern Crossmarks the arrival of a standout new voice.
“These stories evoke places with a sharp, sensuous and at times magical skill. They also dramatize characters and states of mind with a fierce truthfulness and sense of understanding. Horack’s style has a beautiful edge to it; the range of his sympathy makes this a wonderful collection.”
—Colm Tóibín
“These stories are alive with feeling, they are strong and intelligent, they explore the geography of a place and a time and a people—and they explore the geography of a place and a time and a people—and they explore it unforgettably. Skip Horack is a writer to watch.”
--John L’Heureux
“These stories are the real deal, the way Larry Brown's and Raymond Carver's stories are real. They move at depth with what can only be called a great and authentic soul. This is a special book, and the announcement of a wonderful writer and storyteller.”
--Rick Bass
Season by season, Horack's debut collection finds much to love, more to respect as he divulges the secrets, traditions, and memories that defy and define this lì
![The Southern Cross [Paperback]](/itemImage/2/4/6/4/2_2499068.jpg)