The Natural Order of Things - Softcover

Keating, Kevin P.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0988383713 ISBN 13: 9780988383715

Publisher: Aqueous Books, 2012

Synopsis

The Natural Order of Things, comprised of 15 interconnected stories, is properly thought of as a novel in the tradition of Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio or John Steinbeck's The Pastures of Heaven―but with a gothic sensibility. The novel concerns the adventures and exploits of a small group of students, teachers, employees, and priests at a Jesuit prep school in a dying industrial city. Its stories harbor star quarterbacks who sabotage important games, the head coach with a gambling addiction wagering on his own team, an elderly priest suffering from acute memory loss who dabbles in heretical beliefs, and others who swim against the tides of society's proscribed roles. "The Black Death of Gentile da Foligno" was nominated for a Pushcart Prize by author Thomas E. Kennedy. Another story, "Uncreated Creatures," was nominated for a StorySouth Million Writers Award by the editor of The Stickman Review. A third story, "The Spy" won second prize for the Lorain County/Ohio Arts Council Award, judged by Nancy Zafris, editor of The Kenyon Review.

About this title

Review

"A dark and utterly compelling work with an unnervingly resonant vision of our present age. Excellent work by a fine young writer." --Robert Olen Butler

"Reading The Natural Order of Things is like holding a tattered masterpiece in your hands-- individually the pieces are their own small works of art but the true brilliance isn't realized until you fit them together."-- J.W. Schnarr, author of Alice & Dorothy

"Here is Kevin Keating, rallying against that tired old complaint, "Where are the new American voices?" He writes with verve, knowing, and wit--an explorer of the thin but deep fissure between privileged Jesuit school boys and the scrape-by world that surrounds it. Here, then, a wild exploration of the places and people that we wish we had the courage to begin. And now we can. Thanks to Kevin Keating's vision."--Michael Garriga, author of The Book of Duels

"A darkly brilliant, sometimes disturbing odyssey that lays bare the human condition."--Barry Goodrich, Cleveland Magazine

About the Author

After working as a boilermaker in the steel mills in Ohio, Kevin P. Keating became a professor of English and began teaching at Baldwin Wallace University, Cleveland State University, Lorain County Community College, and Lakeland Community College. His essays and stories have appeared in over fifty literary journals, including The Blue Lake Review, The Fifth Street Review, The Mad Hatter's Review, The Avatar Review, The North Coast Review, The Licking River Review, The Red Rock Review, Whiskey Island, Juked, Inertia, Identity Theory, Exquisite Corpse, Wordriver, and many others. He currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio.

Edition details

• Publisher: Aqueous Books
• Publication date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0988383713
• ISBN 13: 9780988383715
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 398