{"product_id":"road-to-cosmos-the-faces-of-an-american-town-paperback-1","title":"Road to Cosmos: The Faces of an American Town - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eBill Meissner\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn his second short story collection, Bill Meissner explores the consciousness of Cosmos, U.S.A, a small town that is anything but ordinary. Though it has its share of residents intent on keeping the world on an even keel, Cosmos is blessed with a healthy number of eccentrics who are chasing their dreams, idiosyncratic as they may be, or struggling to distinguish themselves as individuals. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWe meet Duane, hoping to build a replica of Stonehenge with salvaged cars; Norm, the local weatherman, longing to be the first person to film the inside of a tornado; Elmo, a groundskeeper, seeking perfection on his baseball field; and Dolores--convinced Elvis is still alive--attempting to overcome the pain of her husband's desertion. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThreaded through the collection are poignant childhood memories told through the voice of Skip Carrigan, a native son, who left and returned years later. Skip's stories chronicle a sometimes tender, sometimes stormy relationship with his father; through Skip's mature perspective, Meissner artfully comments on the growth and change of America itself during recent decades. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe residents of Cosmos orbit the town like planets, some of them pulling away, others moving ever closer to its center. Cosmos, though a small Midwestern town, contains universal characters, each of them struggling to find order, love, and identity amid the chaos of their lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBill Meissner has won numerous awards for his writing, including PEN\/NEA Syndicated Fiction Awards for four of the stories in \u003ci\u003eThe Road to Cosmos\u003c\/i\u003e. He is the author of a previous book of fiction, \u003ci\u003eHitting into the Wind\u003c\/i\u003e, and four books of poetry, including \u003ci\u003eAmerican Compass\u003c\/i\u003e, also published by the University of Notre Dame Press. He is Director of Creative Writing at St. Cloud State University.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 204\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.53 x 9 x 6.1 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e November 15, 2006\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42134998679687,"sku":"9780268035013","price":35.64,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0601\/2623\/2711\/files\/858984177af5f754d5d147e572397c6e_776b0fb8-7953-4f2f-9dad-36361088a614.webp?v=1732646220","url":"https:\/\/booksby.splitshops.com\/products\/road-to-cosmos-the-faces-of-an-american-town-paperback-1","provider":"Books by splitShops","version":"1.0","type":"link"}