Melvin Sterne

Redemption Melvin Sterne

In his preface to the 1986 edition of Best American Short Stories, Raymond Carver wrote that "It's possible, in a poem or short story, to write about commonplace things and objects using commonplace but precise language, and to endow those things--a chair, a window curtain, a fork, a stone, a woman's earring--with immense, even startling power." This is a great observation, but it begs the question, How does one do this?

The answer is conflict, and in particular, in choices and consequences. Something to be gained. Something to be lost. Think of what you want more than anything in this world. Think of what you fear more than anything in this world. Now lay those two things side-by-side. This is conflict. And once the story has conflict, virtually any chance encounter can be the trigger that sets events in motion.

The eight stories in this collection all deal with choices and consequences-what we risk when we choose a course of action. These stories were written over ten or so years of travel and reflection. They are set in India, China, Singapore, and the United States and explore the theme of redemption. The characters inhabiting these stories want a second chance. Some of these stories look outward: second chances at love, life, familial relationships. Others look inward: second chances at self-esteem or to atone for the past. There's nothing special about these characters. They're ordinary people like you and me. And yet, in unexpected ways and at unexpected times, the opportunity is thrust upon them. Redemption. The risk, of course, is what happens when you get that second chance? What happens if you fail again?