{"product_id":"9780615619064","title":"Out of the Alley and Other Stories [B\u0026W illus.]","description":"There is, beneath the surface of our lives, a greater significance, even hints of a greater reality. Some call this idea illumination; others, illusion. This is the world in which the stories of \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eOut of the Alley and Other Stories\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e are placed. Here the reader will find tales of deep despair and brilliant hope--but not always in the same story. \u003cp\u003eMost of these stories take place in Manhattan, a place of chaotic energy, both creative and destructive. One character explores grimy alleys full of the discarded pieces of two lives. Elsewhere, a tortured man in crisis recreates the Tabernacle built by Moses out of abandoned furniture and bed sheets. A penny-ante cryptographer despairs of losing his sight in Bellevue Hospital, while an advertising executive receives advice in Central Park from a gondolier who may not be entirely real. Delinquent fathers, performance artists, punk rockers, ritual magicians, and living gods: these are some of the characters in this debut collection of nine short stories by Mark Koltko-Rivera. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEach story is illustrated in black and white,* and the collection begins with maps showing locations mentioned in the stories.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSeveral of these stories have appeared in online literary magazines. The stories include:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e. \"Spiritual Practice\"\u003cbr\u003e . \"The Cryptographer\"\u003cbr\u003e . \"Out of the Alley\"\u003cbr\u003e . \"Art Form\"\u003cbr\u003e . \"The Gondolier of Bethesda Landing\"\u003cbr\u003e . \"The Death of Mozart\"\u003cbr\u003e . \"The Blueprints\"\u003cbr\u003e . \"The Lines\"\u003cbr\u003e . \"The Most Holy Place\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e*An edition of this book with full-color illustrations is also available.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"LVX Publications","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47016287469808,"sku":"9780615619064","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9780615619064_p0.jpg?v=1763598290","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780615619064","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}