Short Stories of Our Times, 'The Benefits of Breathing,' by Award-Winning Author Christopher Meeks to be Published May 24

These days, with so many people wondering if they will be part of the 3% who die if they get Covid-19, they may be missing out what's important: that we're here, that we're breathing, that we're not sick. We have more to do than worry.

In eleven short stories, Christopher Meeks covers many topics, but all deal with the art of living in times of distress. He does not write about the coronavirus per se, but stories can be metaphors for our time. The title story, "The Benefits of Breathing," was inspired by Meeks's father choosing to go on hospice care after he could no longer exercise, read,, or even watch TV. "Most people live without focusing on their mortality, and perhaps appropriately," said the author. "Our lives are not about dread, but so much more. My father was an optimist. Even on his death bed, he felt he was getting better. Still, he knew it was his time to go." He died last month, on March 30th.

Another way to look at this collection comes from Roderick Clark in the Foreword to the collection. He is publisher and editor of Rosebud, a national literary journal that has published eleven of Meeks's stories over the years.

Clark writes, "It's all about love, isn't it? Under all the emotional geology, under the subtle narrative layers of Christopher Meeks's stories, love lurks."

In this volume, "A Dog Story" captures a crumbled marriage and the love of a dog named Scrappy. "Joni Paredes" shows the birth of a new relationship that starts at a daughter's wedding. "Nestor by the Numbers" follows one man's often hilarious online dating experiences after he finally accepts his wife is gone. "Jerry with a Twist" shows an actor on an audition while his pregnant girlfriend helps him through a crisis.

As reviewer Grady Harp notes, "If you've previously discovered the idiosyncrasies of Meeks's writing style and content, rest assured that this new collection not only will not disappoint, but also it will provide further proof that we have a superior writer of the genre in our presence."

Meeks's first story collection, "The Middle-Aged Man and the Sea", brought attention. The Los Angeles Times called it "poignant and wise." Entertainment Weekly hailed it as "stunning." Bookworm interviewer Michael Silverblatt cited it as worth discovering. Meeks's second short story collection, "Months and Seasons," became a finalist for the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award.

With five novels published, Meeks had two of them, "The Chords of War" and "Love at Absolute Zero," win Foreword Magazine Book of the Year Awards.

Meeks also has had three plays produced, and the last, "Who Lives?": earned five Ovation nominations, L.A.'s top theatre awards. "Who Lives?" also echoes the present as it examined the first kidney dialysis machine in the early sixties, when people were dying of kidney disease in large numbers. With the dialysis machine, doctors had to confront who lives and who dies.

White Whisker Books is a small press with fiive authors based in Los Angeles. To see more of what it offers, go to www.WhiteWhiskerBooks.com. Its books are distributed by Ingram.

For more information, go to the website, WhiteWhiskerBooks.com. If you'd like an advanced reading copy (print, audiobook, or eBook) of the collection, go to the contact page of White Whisker books or call White Whisker Books at 323-344-7132.