A troubled boy convinces himself he can fly.
An old crone decides to turn herself into a man.
Two adolescents make an unusual list of ideal women.
A childless couple are given their little nephew for the day.
The players in these humorously anxious stories are separate, apart from the mainstream; their lot being a slow awareness that they may not be able to control the confusing extensions to the landscapes they inhabit. Skewed comedy, absurd perspectives and stretched realities abound as members of this misplaced assortment grapple for their place in the scheme of things.
In these stories, which are precise, tender and glitteringly compelling, Alan McMonagle reveals himself as a writer of the first order. McLaverty comes to mind but, make no mistake, McMonagle is his own man. Readers should pay close attention to him.
– Patrick McCabe
Sentence to story with sudden grace and sharp wit – McMonagle is the real thing!
– Mike McCormack
About the Author: Alan McMonagle was born in Sligo, grew up in Longford and now lives in Galway. He has received awards for his work from the Professional Artists’ Retreat in Yaddo (New York), the Fundación Valparaiso (Spain), the Banff Centre for Creativity (Canada) and The Arts Council (Ireland). His stories have appeared in many journals in Ireland and North America including The Adirondack Review, The Valparaiso Fiction Review, Natural Bridge, Grain, Prairie Fire, Southword and The Stinging Fly. Liar Liar (Wordsonthestreet), his first collection of stories appeared in 2008 and was longlisted for the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award in 2009. The title story of this collection, Psychotic Episodes, was nominated for a 2011 Pushcart Prize.
