Feeding Strays: Short Stories
I am so happy to find a writer saying things that only she could say. Stefanie Freele s stories are full of surprising details, some sweet and strange, some sharp and close to the bone. She writes about women and men and babies. She writes about the things he carries (in his briefcase), the things she swallows, the way this baby floats in the air and the way that one makes a break for it. Lemon zest, unexpected dehumidifiers, pewy diapers, the salsa that speaks to us, frozen wildlife, too much to mention. Most of these honest and innovative stories are also very short. Freele knows how to make every note count when she names that tune just this much and not a word more. Open this book and discover that sometimes a man in a banana suit really is just . . . well, you ll have to find out for yourself. --Ray Vukcevich, author of Meet Me in the Moon RoomAs its title suggests, Feeding Strays is a deeply compassionate collection. Stefanie Freele has a knack for capturing stray moments in her characters lives moments most writers would overlook and charging them with a strange and wondrous grace. These stories will unsettle you, inspire you, and make you feel part of the greater human family. --Gayle Brandeis, author of The Book Of Dead Birds, Fruitflesh and Self StorageThese expert, graceful mini-portraits of the life-jostled, the uncallused, and all the others who struggle with familyhood, are moving, sensitive, funny, and true. Stefanie Freele is a writer with a grip on the human spirit. --Deb Olin Unferth, author of Vacation