Collected short stories by Michael Hopping. The renovation of a backwoods motel reveals a previously unknown and powerful fresco, apparently concealed by the artist who created it. A young man, unsure about his own artistic career, asks himself why. In pursuit of an answer, Clayton stumbles across questions about himself he's never thought to ask. The other protagonists in this richly told collection of short stories could well sympathize with Clayton. Some struggle with idealism, others with innocence or what constitutes a healthy family, or such subjects as the dawn of premeditation, the function of art, estrangement from themselves, and whether it's really possible to be selfless and in love. Often humorous and always thought-provoking, MacTiernan's Bottle invites readers to dive into the worlds Michael Hopping has created and discover the lives of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. Like a garden in perpetual bloom, these are stories to revisit again and again.
Author: Michael Hopping Publisher: Pisgah Press Published: 12/04/2011 Pages: 250 Binding Type: Paperback Weight: 0.71lbs Size: 8.50h x 5.51w x 0.57d ISBN: 9780615558387
About the Author Michael Hopping lives near Asheville, North Carolina. In a former life he was a practicing psychiatrist and medical director for a community mental health center. In search of less industrialized approaches to coping with today's world, he eventually left the field. His short fiction and creative nonfiction have appeared in Spoiled Ink, The Great Smokies Review, fresh, and the Mad Hatters' Review blog. A novel, Meet Me In Paradise, was published in 2007. Since 2003 Michael has also been an investigative reporter, features writer, and occasional commentator for Asheville's alternative monthly newspaper, The Indie. His website is www.michaelhopping.com.