Bliss and Other Short Stories (The Raz/Shumaker Prairie Schooner Book Prize in Fiction) - Softcover

Ted Gilley is a freelance writer and editor. His short fiction and poetry have appeared in such publications as New England Review, Northwest Review, Prairie Schooner, and many other magazines and anthologies.

"It is easy to see how this debut collection was selected as the winner of this year's Prairie Schooner Book Prize in Fiction. These stories remind us of the attributes that give short fiction its special appeal. . . . A remarkable debut for all readers of fiction."—Sue Russell, Library Journal (Sue Russell Library Journal 2010-09-01)

"Gilley's debut collection offers admirably constructed narratives from which his troubled protagonists emerge bearing small, resonant victories. . . . Telling, make-or-break moments are the crux of Gilley's stories, allowing his sharply etched characters to find unexpected purpose under fire."—Publishers Weekly (Publishers Weekly)

"Bliss and Other Stories is a great collection by a gifted writer."—Kevin O'Kelly, Boston Globe (Kevin O'Kelly Boston Globe 2010-09-01)

"Each story is a small pleasure. . . . While many tales involve the quiet situations often found in contemporary American short stories, these stand apart, thanks to Gilley's knack for effortless dialogue in whichever diverse, everyday situation he plumbs."—Annie Tully, Booklist Online (Annie Tully Booklist Online 2010-08-16)

"[Bliss and Other Short Stories] is as startling as stumbling upon a full, immense moon—scarred white and sharp above the trees—and just as quiet. This collection's nine stories serve up people who are reeling in the borderland between desire and despair, trying to survive the only way they know how: by recounting their stories and scrambling to make sense of their worlds' unraveling."—Stacy Muszynski, Rumpus.net (Stacy Muszynski Rumpus.net 2010-09-13)

"Gilley maps contemporary America in ordinary towns on both coasts, and although his stories range in location, they pulse with his masterful attention to place, the poetry of his images, and the predicaments of lives no longer simple."—Rachel Bara, Colorado State University (Rachel Bara Colorado State University)