Odd people inextricably caught in odd situations, this collection of tales places the weight of individual choice and character on the airy fate and circumstance. They are populated by the gullible, madmen, lonely women, fools, and heroic losers. These tales of human loose ends are offered to prick the conscience of the reader, but having failed in that effort, the author seeks to tourniquet the hemorrhage of small, painful perceptions that are their substance.