Irving Werner

Past Tense: New and Selected Stories Irving Werner

Reader beware: These stories are bereft of shootings, druggies, alkies, hunting, car chases, cops and robbers, child or spousal abuse, and mayhem in general. They do deal in a more muted way with the great elemental themes that most stories are ultimately about life, love, and death, segmented into the mundane experiences of hope and regret, missed connections, betrayal, vengeance, the ways in which we fool ourselves. Many bring back a world of just a few short years ago, which to a large extent no longer exists. Also included are stories related to the immigrant experience three-fourths of a century ago, and not excluded are some that you may consider politically incorrect. Interlarded, are stories which are humorous, surreal, otherworldly. One critic, some time ago, characterized the author's stories as "exquisitely crafted and gently understated tales of urban and suburban angst," - with, it is hoped, some modicum of validity.