Short Story Collections

From the writer of the Life is a Beautiful Thing series and The Feedback Loop series comes a collection of twelve stories about the troubled times we share. In "Pedo Drew," a man loses a bet and is forced to go around his neighborhood confessing to a terrible crime. In "Go Home Student Loans, You're Drunk," the author shares an e-mail he recently received from Nelnet services, the holder of 1/3 of America's student loan debt. In "Dear NSA," a woman's obsession with the NSA finds her writing love e-mails to federal agents desperately hoping for a reply. Gun violence is the topic in "Pay to Play," a story about a corporation that matches older citizens with police departments so they can perform the role of volunteer law enforcement officer. "Tips for DEA Sex Party" is a slide show presentation telling DEA agents how to throw and attend sex parties. "The Gastronomics of Brotherhood" journeys along the intestinal tract, as a woman named Clara receives e-mails from both of her brothers, who have been fighting it out for years over things that range from the benefits of enemas to philanthropy. "The Internet Kill Switch Fiasco" is a history paper written in the 2030s about social media gone wrong, the global loss of the Internet and its aftereffects. "Feeding Governor Christie: A Love Story," is a surreal piece about a couple arguing over an Instagram likes while stuffing the Governor of New Jersey and his distinguished guests. "Rest Assured: I Didn't Sleep with Your Mother" is a letter to a man's ex-girlfriend assuring her of his new positions in life. "From My Cold Dead Hands" is a serious piece about gun violence and paranoia in Texas. If you'd like a signed, personalized copy of Dear NSA, please visit www.harmoncooper.com

In "Stuffed Prey," a Japanese maid café employee's obsession with claw machines is likened to the very human desire to succeed. Harmon Cooper, the author of the collection, was in a bus accident in India in 2011. "The Sciatica Goblin and the International Motley Crew," is a recollection of this experience. Facing retirement, a subway worker named Kodai runs from his post onto the highway in "Tokyo Stirs." He continues running, as the news media and police chase behind him. Heavy on the magical realism side, "Tani House," explores the unique relationship between an old woman and her guesthouse in Kyoto. "Modern Nomads" is a surrealist piece about a waitress who has had eyelid surgery in Mongolia. In "Pouring Hearts," a former soldier returns to Korea twenty years after his tour of duty to find his long lost love. What he finds instead will haunt him forever. In "Dreaded," a man named Tommy is almost imprisoned by Nepali police after attending a dance club filled with under-aged girls. In "Fishing with Shiva," a man suffering from Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease tells a bittersweet story to his caretaker about his time in Nepal. These three stories form a trio of stories all connected by a book called Once upon the Ganges. The stories in Tokyo Stirs are bittersweet stories, written to inspire both hope and fear regarding the passing of time.