Crisp

Crisp confronts the unspeakable parts of memory, meditating on characters caught in isolation and struggling to make sense of grief, disappointment, and the occasional dinner party gone wrong. Along the way, these characters don't always make sound choices: a grieving widow pursues a priest, an unhappy wife whittles her husband to bits, and a melancholy man has a one-night stand with a whale trainer. In his debut short story collection, R.W. Gray deftly uncovers human reactions to loneliness and unrest through tales about relationships, secrets, and a longing to connect.

These are exuberant cinematic tales of trailers and kitchen sinks and killer whales, a startling mix of wild currents and landlocked inner lives that are playful and scary. The title story Crisp is weirdly enchanting; it has real verve and swing. Mark Jarman

A luminous debut collection, Crisp moves like an underwater ballet, delicate and taut. Inhabited by damaged and dangerous characters. R.W. Gray's masterful storytelling will haunt you. Eden Robinson

In Crisp, R.W. Gray illuminates some very dark places with glittering prose. In one story, he writes of "concise explosions"...an apt descriptor of the collection, of the combined effect of Gray's marvelous precision with words, and of the intensity of emotion that roils and steadily amplifies beneath. Crisp is an unnerving and exhilarating read. Kate Sutherland