We Were Flying to Chicago

A ';sharply observed' collection of ten stories in which a character's everyday life takes them on a journey of self-actualization and transformation (Toronto Star). In this striking debut collection, characters find unexpected moments of profound insight while navigating the monotony of daily life. Here we find a man who drives to the wrong mountain, a hubcap cleaner who moonlights as a karaoke star, and a deliveryman whose urgent letters have no willing recipient. While lulled by the deceptively simple rhythm of the ordinary, Kevin Clouther offers the instant before momentous changethe view over the cliff, the intake of breath before a decision, a glimpse of stark vulnerability, of faith and hope. ';Clouther's first collection of stories shows an ';old' talentmeaning, his sophistication in treatment and technique and his wise observations of the human condition have the feel of an author who has the experience of several story collections behind him.' Booklist(starred review) ';Clouther finds the magic, mystery and story-telling potential in an otherwise ordinary, everyday world.' TheIowa-City Press Citizen ';Wry, funny, big-hearted stories... utterly satisfying and unexpected, like scratching an itch you didn't know you had.' Rebecca Johns, author of Icebergs and The Countess ';The 10 entries in Clouther's debut collection all display a sure-handed grasp of craft.' Publishers Weekly ';By turns subversive and poignant, darkly humorous and deeply moving, these ten stories show us the author's expansive range and the heart that drives his imagination.' Bret Anthony Johnston, author of Corpus Christi

A ';sharply observed' collection of ten stories in which a character's everyday life takes them on a journey of self-actualization and transformation (Toronto Star). In this striking debut collection, characters find unexpected moments of profound insight while navigating the monotony of daily life. Here we find a man who drives to the wrong mountain, a hubcap cleaner who moonlights as a karaoke star, and a deliveryman whose urgent letters have no willing recipient. While lulled by the deceptively simple rhythm of the ordinary, Kevin Clouther offers the instant before momentous changethe view over the cliff, the intake of breath before a decision, a glimpse of stark vulnerability, of faith and hope. ';Clouther's first collection of stories shows an ';old' talentmeaning, his sophistication in treatment and technique and his wise observations of the human condition have the feel of an author who has the experience of several story collections behind him.' Booklist(starred review) ';Clouther finds the magic, mystery and story-telling potential in an otherwise ordinary, everyday world.' TheIowa-City Press Citizen ';Wry, funny, big-hearted stories... utterly satisfying and unexpected, like scratching an itch you didn't know you had.' Rebecca Johns, author of Icebergs and The Countess ';The 10 entries in Clouther's debut collection all display a sure-handed grasp of craft.' Publishers Weekly ';By turns subversive and poignant, darkly humorous and deeply moving, these ten stories show us the author's expansive range and the heart that drives his imagination.' Bret Anthony Johnston, author of Corpus Christi