Stress City: A Big Book of Fiction by 51 DC Guys (Paperback)

by Richard Peabody (Editor), Cover by G. Byron Peck (Illustrator)
Key Phrases: shrimp boat, conjecture chamber, leaving prison, Stress City, Joy Pasture, Suess City (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Blurbs: The dean of D.C. s alternative press has compiled a vast compendium of excellence, wildness, and wonder. Perhaps somewhat predictably, I was drawn to the tales of predatory female werewolves and homicidal dogs preaching Lutheran gospel, but pretty much everybody else is here too: the downtown shrimp shack hostesses, the suburban minimum security prison escapees and the closeted death metal deacons. Nixon even wanders through, walking along the beach on his way to reincarnation. There are Vietnamese charades, hippie narcs, monkish visions of Buddhist clarity, and one loser babysitter who brings the kid along to the strip club. Sometimes surreal, often moving, and even more often perfectly hilarious, the work collected here makes D.C. s literary presence a force to be reckoned with. It s as powerful as John Riggins s shoulders, as strong as a shot at Millie and Al s, and as fun as watching the pandas get it on at the National Zoo. Well done guys. Toby Barlow, author of Sharp Teeth Stress City is a core sample of the D.C. male psyche, a tube that comes out striated with the compacted layers of what's on these guys' minds: death, race, sex, death, race, sex, death, traffic, sex.... makes me feel like I never left. Recommended for Washingtonians past and present." Jordan Ellenberg, author of The Grasshopper King "Werewolves, installation artists taking over Arlington, jilted Hare Krishnas out for murderous revenge...this isn't George Bush's Washington. In Stress City, D.C.'s small press conscience Richard Peabody has assembled a monument to the underdogs of the nation's capitol. This anthology is as poignant and truth telling as any 'official' history and way way more fun." Hal Niedzviecki, author of Hello, I m Special and The Program Authors included: R. R. Angell, Scott W. Berg, Sean Brijbasi, Peter Brown, Kenneth Carroll, Theodore Carter, Christopher Colston, Richard Currey, Kevin Downs, David Everett, Mark Farrington, Juan H. Gaddis, William E. Garrison, Frank Gatling, Brian Gilmore, John Guernsey, James Harper, Dave Housley, Bill Jackson, Dennis Jones, Matthew Kirkpatrick, Len Kruger, Robert Lang, Charles R. Larson, Nathan Leslie, Peter Levine, Greg Lipscomb, Eric Lotke, Alex MacLennan, Joe Martin, James Mathews, Richard McCann, Matthew L. Moffett, Richard Morris, Kermit Moyer, Terence M. Mulligan, Andrew Nachison, David Nicholson, Jim Patterson, Jim Reed, Jeff Richards, B. B. Riefner, Lewis K. Schrager, Matthew Summers-Sparks, D. A. Taylor, Ross Taylor, Robichaud S. Thorstensen, Tim Wendel, Jim Williamson, Terence Winch, and James Zug.

About the Author
Richard Peabody, a prolific poet, fiction writer and editor, is an experienced teacher and important activist in the Washington , D.C. community of letters. He is the founder and co-editor of Gargoyle magazine and editor (or co-editor) of fifteen anthologies including Mondo Barbie, Conversations with Gore Vidal, A Different Beat: Writings by Women of the Beat Generation, Alice Redux and Grace and Gravity: Fiction by Washington Area Women. He is the author of the novella Sugar Mountain, two short story collections, and six poetry collections including Last of the Red Hot Magnetos and I'm in Love with the Morton Salt Girl. He is currently working on Gravity Dancers: Even More Fiction by Washington Area Women (forthcoming spring 2009). Peabody holds a B.A. from the University of Maryland and an M.A. in Literature from American University. He has taught at the University of Virginia, Georgetown University, The Writer's Center, and at Johns Hopkins, where he has been presented the Faculty Award for Distinguished Professional Achievement. Peabody lives and works in the Washington, D.C. area. You can find out more about him online at Wikipedia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 500 pages
• Publisher: Paycock Press (July 25, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0931181275
• ISBN-13: 978-0931181276
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #640,862 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, September 20, 2008

By	Saadia - See all my reviews

Each and every one of the short stories contained within this book is well written and fascinating. The stories are diverse; I never felt like the writing was redundant or formulaic. This is an incredible compilation--I think it will be enjoyed by men, women, the elderly, the young and people from varied ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds. I look forward to following the careers of the writers contained within the book--especially Juan H. Gaddis and Kermit Moyer. I highly recommend this fantastic short story collection. It is a book lovers book and I am proud to have it in my personal library.