Check nearby libraries
Buy this book
The thirteen stories in DROWNING LESSONS use water in different ways. In “Swimming,” a man’s love affair with a lake threatens his marriage; in “The Wolf House,” a pond is the setting of the reunion—and dissolution—of a group of high school friends, brought together for a funeral. “The Sink-ing Ship Man” chronicles a day in the life of an African American caretaker in charge of the only remaining survivor of the Titanic. In “El Malecón,” a toothless old Dominican man tries to recapture his lost dignity by “borrowing” a shiny convertible Cadillac and driving it along the coastal highway to his childhood village. In “The Sea Cure,” two travelers in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula confront death in the form of a mysterious woman living in an abandoned beach-front apartment complex. In “Our Cups are Bottomless" the accuracy of a legend at the bottom of a diner menu becomes a matter of life or death for a man bent on suicide.
Check nearby libraries
Buy this book
Previews available in: English
Showing 3 featured editions. View all 3 editions?
Edition | Availability |
---|---|
1 |
zzzz
Libraries near you:
WorldCat
|
2 |
zzzz
Libraries near you:
WorldCat
|
3
Drowning lessons: stories
2008, University of Georgia Press, Brand: University of Georgia Press
in English
0820332100 9780820332109
|
aaaa
Libraries near you:
WorldCat
|
Book Details
First Sentence
"He placed the oars in their locks and the floating seat cushion on the backseat."
Edition Notes
Praise for Drowning Lessons:
“Water flows through these stories, giving Peter Selgin’s characters moments of grace from their lives and also propelling them forward, as they try to swim through the problems that face them. Drowning Lessons is an extraordinary book; Peter Selgin’s writing creates a current that will carry readers farther than they would ever have expected, and leave them on a new shore.”
—Hannah Tinti, author of The Good Thief
“A wine-dark blood rushes through the pages of Drowning Lessons. Tap a vein and drink deeply and taste the best and the worst kind of love. In these pages you will experience lust, spite, jealousy, fidelity, rose-flavored romance, and doe-eyed affection, sometimes all in the same story. Thank goodness for Peter Selgin, who shares with us the mysteries of the human heart in this electric, revealing collection.”
—Benjamin Percy, author of Refresh, Refresh
“Peter Selgin’s stories are mordantly funny, at times desperately sad, but always full of hard-earned wisdom and subversive irony. His collection ranges across time and space in a way few other writers have. Drowning Lessons is a book that deserves serious attention from all lovers of American short fiction.”
—Jess Row, author of The Train to Lo Wu
“A stellar collection deserving recognition. Selgin possesses a mature, complex voice and is able to conceptualize, compose, and perfect stories of brilliant diversity and tone. High emotional intelligence, empathy, courage, and intellectual curiosity fuel this collection, giving it a rare narrative fire beyond the obvious and admirable excellence of craft.”
—Melissa Pritchard, author of Late Bloomer
“[Selgin’s] ability to sling together desire and suffering in complex and moving ways is singular and memorable.”
—Booklist (online)
“[A] powerful collection. Selgin is never heavy-handed in his use of metaphor, and it’s rewarding to see the skill with which he employs it.”
—Bookpage
“[A] masterful debut collection . . .Wickedly satisfying.”
—Publisher’s Weekly
“An exceptional collection.”
—Book Notes (online)
Winner of the Flannery O’Connor
Award for Short Fiction
Classifications
The Physical Object
ID Numbers
Source records
Library of Congress MARC recordLibrary of Congress MARC record
Library of Congress MARC record
Internet Archive item record
marc_openlibraries_sanfranciscopubliclibrary MARC record
Library of Congress MARC record
Better World Books record
marc_columbia MARC record
amazon.com record
harvard_bibliographic_metadata record
First Sentence
"He placed the oars in their locks and the floating seat cushion on the backseat."
Community Reviews (0)
Feedback?September 29, 2021 | Edited by ImportBot | import existing book |
February 13, 2020 | Edited by MARC Bot | remove fake subjects |
May 23, 2019 | Edited by MARC Bot | import existing book |
July 22, 2017 | Edited by Mek | adding subject: In library |
December 9, 2009 | Created by WorkBot | add works page |