Where They Come From Where They Hide
by Phillip Gardner
Welcome to this fictional version of Darlington, South Carolina -- a town full of characters who are rough, down on their luck, and beautifully flawed. This fictional town provides a backdrop for the tragedies and comedies of life to unfold. If you linger in these stories awhile and belly-up at the Paradise Lounge, the local watering hole, you’ll meet Vapor, a man without a face, Coach, a washed-up former high school football coach who becomes a hero of sorts, and Pete Humps and his best friend, Russ, who are both hopelessly in love with the same fiery woman. These connected stories blur time and narrative to construct complicated characters that challenge stereotypical conceptions of the rural working-class. In the end, what emerges are the tales of the depth of human joy and suffering.
Order from any bookstore, local or online. This title is also available from of Galveston, Texas.
About the Author
Phillip Gardner, an award-winning writer, has published four short story collections in addition to Where They Come From Where They Hide, and his stories have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies. He grew up learning to love music and reading. For most of his life, music has been his hobby and short fiction his love. While many of his stories are set in a fictional Darlington, South Carolina, and circulate around the Paradise Lounge, Gardner resists the Grit-Lit-regional-writer label. His stories cross social classes, genders and genres, and range from the ridiculous and funny to the poignant and sublime. Gardner is professor emeritus at Francis Marion University, where he taught for thirty years. He lives with his lovely wife, Tressa, in Darlington.