Happy official publication day to Jared Yates Sexton and his short story collection, The Hook and the Haymaker.
Want a little try-before-you-buy? Check out these stories:
+ Maggie from Southern Humanities Review (Pushcart Prize nominee)
“Maggie was a widow of seven years, and every Sunday, her husband’s brother, Dick, dropped in to keep her company and play cards. She would fix a pot of spaghetti, Dick’s favorite, while he drank beer and told her about his week. He worked at the same mine where his brother had been killed, so he was careful with the details.”
+Coming Home from The Account
“There was something wonderful about sitting down for roast and vegetables with the family, drinking a glass or two of wine, helping with the dishes, and then making up some excuse as to why I had to go back to the office—papers to grade, classes to prep—and then choking the life out of the evening by crawling bars with Mackenzie and her hot-tempered friends. It was the best of both worlds, the perfect combination of ice and fire that made my life so very enjoyable.”
+ Listen to Jared read Punch-for-Punch from PANK Issue 10 (Then go buy it here.)
We hope you’ll support a talented author and our budding indie press by buying a copy for yourself and one for a friend (or two, if you have more than one friend who likes to read, and we really hope you do) and helping us spread the word.
What People Are Saying:
“Here he is, the successor to Jim Harrison, William Gay, Richard Ford, Jared Yates Sexton is a raw talent, the kind of writer that you need to tell your friends about, the kind of writer you envy and will follow to the ends of the earth. The Hook and The Haymaker is explosive, slicing through us like a literary scythe. His characters traipse through darkness with only the faintest hope of light on the other side, and Sexton leads them – and us – through it all with def precision. This blisteringly smart collection is destined to be an instant classic, and I hope others will rejoice in saying so too.”
– Robert James Russell
Author of Don’t Ask Me To Spell It Out and Sea of Trees
“Jared Yates Sexton lays down a strong confident hand in The Hook and The Haymaker. He is a writer most excellent at details, both huge and tiny – the monstrous wildfires and infinitesimal sparks that warm a life, a relationship, a heart. These stories are sturdy and meaty with smoky ribbons – a substantial collection on which to feast and fill. Delicious.”
– Leesa Cross-Smith
Author of Every Kiss A War
Congratulations, Jared! We couldn’t be prouder. This collection is killer.
Any press/interview/review queries, please email Scott Bugher: editor@splitlippress.com.