Coalescing around themes of family and belonging, the past’s influence on the present, and the ways we define ourselves, these stories show us people forced to grapple with who they are—and who they could become. A closeted teenager learns from the nude model in his life-drawing class what it might mean to be a gay man in Fort Worth. A lifestyle blogger looking to expand her influence hires a photographer whose work destabilizes her family. A boy finds friendship in the precocious daughter of a recently deceased architect whose fame and force of personality continue to dominate their lives. In Bradley Bazzle’s deft hands, these characters—on the cusp of change, willingly or not—discover truths about themselves, some of which they might regret learning.

Bradley Bazzle is the author of the novel Trash Mountain and the story collection Fathers of Cambodian Time-Travel Science. His work has appeared in New Letters, New England Review, Colorado Review, Copper Nickel, and elsewhere. Originally from Dallas, Texas, he lives with his family in Athens, Georgia, where he teaches improvisational comedy.

In the Shadow of the Architect
Where the West Begins
Scuttling and Creeping
Relatable Influence
Missing
Each Unique Specimen
The Colleyville House of Gil Fontaine
Acknowledgments