A Twilight Reel: Stories

Product Description Each of the twelve stories in A twilight Reel chronicles a transformation-loss, self-discovery, renewal-among the inhabitants of the fictional town of Runion, NC. A preacher held at knifepoint in a stranger's cabin, another who absconds with his church's funds and the wife of a parishioner; an elderly woman who slowly goes mad as she freezes to death; a renowned fiddler who returns home to die of AIDS; a gravedigger more comfortable with the dead than the living ... Sinful or righteous, imbued with hope or beyond redemption, each of these memorable characters struggles to endure, survive, or triumph over unplanned encounters with the people, forgotten or remembered, admired or scorned, who beset their lives.These narrative threads are masterfully woven into the tapestry that is A Twilight Reel-a book full of surprises, dark fears, and unexpected humor, that echoes and distills the travails of any people, in any place. Review A vivid portrait of a community in an age of rapid change.... Cody is one of the most authentic and inspired voices in contemporary Appalachian fiction.... In these linked stories he speaks for both the region and the world beyond. -Robert Morgan, Author of Chasing the North StarIt's no accident that a character in Michael Amos Cody's A Twilight Reel is reading Dubliners, for the world of this remarkable collection-Runion, North Carolina, and the "age-rounded" Blue Ridge mountains-is pure Joycean.... Cody is the masterful caller of the reel, leading us into mystery, time, a little magic realism, and possibly redemption-ever mindful of the living and the dead. -Linda Parsons, author of Candescent and This Shaky EarthAn extraordinary collection from an extraordinary writer. Grounded in place and time, Cody's stories are world-wise, whip-smart, and eminently readable. -Wesley Browne, author of Hillbilly HustleEach of these stories sings its own song, but when read together they are even stronger, offering a symphonic, nuanced portrayal of our contemporary Southern Highlands ... A real gem. -Leah Hampton, author of F*uckfaceFor those who wish to understand contemporary Appalachia-with its crazy quilt blend of past, present, and future-I cannot recommend A Twilight Reel highly enough! Savor each of these stories in turn and then marvel at the world they together make. -Terry Roberts, Author of A Short Time to Stay Here & That Bright LandReminiscent of Spenser's Shepherd's Calendar, these twelve linked stories follow the progress of the seasons throughout a calendar year, rendering the fullness of life to be found in one Appalachian community. With its town-gown divide and its traditional and often insular residents struggling to become more inclusive, Runion, North Carolina, feels both representative and one of a kind. -George Hovis, author of The Skin ArtistMichael Amos Cody's A Twilight Reel avoids the stereotypes of Appalachia to present a nuanced portrait of a region learning how to understand and embrace the new while preserving the best of its traditions and letting go of what never worked in the first place. These insightful and magnificent stories make me wish for a second edition of Writing Appalachia so that the anthology might include one of them. -Theresa Lloyd, Co-Editor, Writing Appalachia: An Anthology About the Author Michael Amos Cody grew up in the village of Walnut, jewel of Madison County, North Carolina, not far from the ruins of Runion, a place he has reimagined for stories appearing in Yemassee, Tampa Review, Still, and other publications, as well as in his first novel Gabriel's Songbook (Pisgah Press 2017). He lives with his wife Leesa in Jonesborough, Tennessee, and teaches in the Department of Literature and Language at East Tennessee State University.