In his debut collection of short stories, JHU Writing Seminars senior lecturer Tristan Davies explores the complexities of love and relationships in contemporary society in tales that are impressionistic and dreamlike. Linked by a sense of regret, these characters are at the mercy of their desires and uncertain longings, often with disastrous results. The imagery in these compact and highly visual stories ranges from the everyday to the surreal, each presenting a psychological turning point in their characters' lives, often just a fleeting moment, sometimes more bitter than sweet.

Acclaimed novelist and short storyist Stephen Dixon, Davies' colleague at the Writing Seminars, describes the stories in Cake as "a cross between John Cheever and Evelyn Waugh, with a bit of F. Scott Fitzgerald joined in. They're witty, urbane, funny, poignant and sophisticated. Tristan is a writer with a graceful and immediately readable style and an original, spirited and incisive take on contemporary life, and Cake is a strong and impressive literary debut." (September, 156 pages, $25.95 paperback)

GO TO OCTOBER 6, 2003 TABLE OF CONTENTS.
GO TO THE GAZETTE FRONT PAGE.