Dancing in the Movies (The Iowa School of Letters award for short fiction) - Tapa dura

Six stories tell of a Black policeman's fear of racism, a student who tries to convince his girlfriend to stop her drug habit, lovers trying to build a relationship, and soldiers at war

Encompassing a vast gamut of personalities, situations, and emotions, these stories penetrate our motives for doing what is right. Often there is no right or wrong, and the characters' motives for the choices they make are as diverse as the childhood memories they cherish and abhor. In the end, this book probes individual impulse and responsibility, creating stories so unerringly authentic that they becomeOCoirrepressiblyOCopart of everyone who reads them. The Darkness of Love narrates three days in the life of a black policeman, distressed by his inner fears of racism and irresistibly attracted by his wife's sister. In Dancing in the Movies a college student returns to his hometown, where he finds his girlfriendOCoa heroin addictOCoand tries to convince her to overcome her habit. There are stories of men at war, of lovers trying to begin a relationship, of others trying to sustain their love. Each story revolves around characters with a choice to make, and Robert Boswell renders these characters in all of their fine, vulnerable, and relentless attributes.With this prize-winning collection, Boswell proves himself a mature craftsperson, weaving stories both poignant and profound. Each story is a vision of life, alternately dark and joyous, gritty and hopeful."