A newlywed struggles with mental health and job insecurity, but finds joy in her artwork and marriage. A teacher faces bigotry in the small town he grew to love. Swimming laps in a pool makes a young man reflect on his odd encounters. Faustian legend receives a satirical update. Those situations just hint at what readers can find in Duane Simolke’s collection of West Texas tales, set at the end of the twentieth century. “A lush tangle of small-town life branches out in this engrossing collection of short stories.” –Kirkus Reviews