“Every secret of a writer’s soul, every experience of his life, every quality of his mind, is written large in his works.”
—Virginia Woolf

 

     I write about the nooks and crannies of life.  To me, it is the only means by which we can view the bigger picture.  I like to think in terms of moments and instances, the way things feel, the way that they taste in your mouth.  These thirty short stories have been chosen among the hundreds that I have written over the past eight years. Most of them have been previously published in various literary journals. It is my hope that they might take you to another place, that collectively they offer a cohesive, unique and well fitted body of work.

     It has always been my belief that a little can say a lot.  My stories are very often about what is left unsaid.  I like to paint portraits with just a sentence or two.  That is why I continue to be enamored and experiment with the short story form.  I hope that you enjoy this little collection and that you find something of significance.  If nothing else, perhaps we can climb inside each other’s heads a while and kick some ideas around.

 

“A marvelous voice!” —The Oxford American

“Non-stop southern-ness!” —Forge Literary Magazine

“A compelling set of stories”…“A very unique perspective on contemporary southern culture.”—Emily Seyl, Texas A&M University Press

“To understand the world, you must first understand a place like Mississippi.”—William Faulkner

​

In James William Gardner’s new collection of short stories, the reader will gain authentic insight into the fascinating world of the American south. With humor and sensitivity, the writer grapples with important cultural themes. His characters live and breathe, places become real, tradition is revealed and you may never feel the same way about the south again.