This anthology of twenty-two short stories by contemporary North Carolina writers, selected by Gingher, the longtime book review editor of the "Greensboro News and Record," is a testament to the vitality of the literary tradition of the state. Contributors include Alice Adams, Maya Angelou, Doris Betts, Fred Chappell, Clyde Edgerton, Kaye Gibbons, Allan Gurganus, Randall Kenan, Reynolds Price, and Lee Smith.