Cities & Women - (The Shadow of the Phoenix) by Hal Howland (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

An amazing collection of short stories from Key West writer and musician Hal Howland, you will encounter several popular characters from Howland's previous titles and introduces a world of unforgettable newcomers. The first of two title stories reminisces about a lifetime spent living in and visiting great cities around the globe. And the second title story remembers the women with whom a man came of age, if not into maturity. Also you will find "Evidence," where a middle-aged actor remembers two former girlfriends, opposites in every way, who presumably still own photographs of him naked. "The Grand Tour" follows a small-time nineteen seventies crooner and his disparate bandmates on a hilarious American road trip. "Jocelyn Davies" tells of a lovelorn singer whose sexual awakening dissolves a stalled relationship. "Piano Trio" describes a noisy sex romp taking place upstairs in an old woman's guesthouse. And "The Mansfield Effect" recalls a comic one-night stand with an over-endowed drama student. More than 30 stories in all.

About the Author

Hal Howland is the author of After Jerusalem: A Story and Two Novellas, The Human Drummer: Thoughts on the Life Percussive, The Jazz Buyer: Short Fiction, and Landini Cadence and Other Stories, a finalist in the 2011 Next Generation Indie Book Awards and a recipient of the 2012 Eric Hoffer Award for excellence in independent publishing. Howland's work has been nominated for the Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition, Short Story America, the Writer's Digest Popular Fiction Awards, and other honors. Howland has released three award-winning, critically acclaimed jazz recordings, The Howland Ensemble, Reiko, and 10 Years in 5 Days, and has received a jazz fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. Born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Virginia, Europe, and the Middle East, Howland now lives in Key West, Florida. His Web site address is www.halhowland.com.