«The Southern Cross» by Skip Horack

Set along the Gulf Coast before and after Hurricane Katrina, “these stories evoke places with a sharp, sensuous and at times magical skill” (Colm Tóibín).The sixteen short stories featured in this 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 in half by the arrival of Hurricane Katrina, and filled with humor and fierce honesty, they follow the lives of an assembly of unforgettable characters: an exonerated ex-con who may not be entirely innocent; a rabbit farmer in mourning; a nurse who decides to romance a patient as payback for her husband’s infidelity; and an earnest young mariner trying to start a new life with his wife—all populating the spirited cities and drowsy parishes in Skip Horack’s marvelous portrait of the South. With its “epic-worthy” stories, The Southern Cross marks the arrival of a standout new voice (Antonya Nelson).“Each of these deeply felt stories is an offbeat song of the new South. From post-K New Orleans to the Panhandle, Horack rummages fearlessly through the houses and trailers and yards and bars where his characters kill time and make hay, so he can unearth what worries their hearts. His is an intrepid and startling new literary voice.” —Pia Z. Ehrhardt“These stories are the real deal, the way Larry Brown’s and Raymond Carver’s stories are real.” —Rick Bass