The Secret Goldfish
David Means
An extraordinary collection of short stories from an author who is set to become one of America’s leading literary voices.In the tradition of Raymond Carver or Tobias Wolff, these are all-encompassing stories of the American psyche, of love and loss and of the landscape and its people.A goldfish circles in its bowl, refusing to die, becoming the silent focus of a difficult family life; a pianist loses his talents as he is forced to question the meaning of love and commitment. Through a blend of lyricism and humour, these stories of ordinary human dilemmas take flight and become mythical and universal. David Means is a rare writer who transports us to the heart of what it is to be human.
DAVID MEANS
The Secret Goldfish
Copyright (#ulink_a3a2e8c9-21d2-54e4-93a6-91ee74a2ea7a)
These short stories are entirely works of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in them are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
Fourth Estate
A division of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF
www.harpercollins.co.uk (https://www.harpercollins.co.uk)
This edition published by Fourth Estate 2012
First published in Great Britain by Fourth Estate 2005
Copyright © David Means 2004
David Means asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Some of the stories in this book appeared in the following publications:
‘The Secret Goldfish’ in the New Yorker; ‘Lightning Man’ in Esquire; ‘It Counts as Seeing’ in Harper’s; ‘Sault Ste. Marie’ in Harper’s; ‘Blown from the Bridge’ and ‘A Visit from Jesus’ (as ‘Two Folktales from Michigan’) in Witness; ‘Elyria Man’ in McSweeney’s; ‘The Project’ in the Alaska Quarterly Review and Harper’s; ‘Carnie’ in Witness and The Best American Mystery Stories, 2001
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HarperCollinsPublishers has made every reasonable effort to ensure that any picture content and written content in this ebook has been included or removed in accordance with the contractual and technological constraints in operation at the time of publication.
Source ISBN: 9780007164875
EBook Edition © JULY 2016 ISBN: 9780007405336
Version: 2016-07-25
Dedication (#ulink_9e018c9c-df0b-5e65-913f-35011959b36e)
To Genève
Epigraph (#ulink_c89c9974-9245-5eb8-af95-9e2ecde402d0)
The pure products of America go crazy—
WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS
Contents
Cover (#ud0918ade-db2e-5f66-9366-bebdf870040a)
Title Page (#u5e9f5afc-943b-548a-88e4-498ba6d7bc50)
Copyright (#u5acb1abe-7ae1-5220-879d-0ebdd0009401)
Dedication (#ud3e66c6a-01c4-599b-8ee9-15d77f61ada5)
Epigraph (#u32054c8e-bee7-5a36-a891-deb7f428741e)
Lightning Man (#ucedf2d51-2395-514d-9c6d-7609d7eb13a7)
Sault Ste. Marie (#uf4233a62-5b5e-5b5e-ae46-919239268609)
It Counts as Seeing (#uec0b11a2-f580-5e36-94bb-9389c89cbe35)
Blown from the Bridge (#u275f7152-aa19-59d3-a6ff-5ddfc069feea)
A Visit from Jesus (#litres_trial_promo)
Petrouchka [With Omissions] (#litres_trial_promo)
Elyria Man (#litres_trial_promo)
The Project (#litres_trial_promo)
Hunger (#litres_trial_promo)
Counterparts (#litres_trial_promo)
Dustman Appearances to Date (#litres_trial_promo)
Carnie (#litres_trial_promo)
The Nest (#litres_trial_promo)
Michigan Death Trip (#litres_trial_promo)
The Secret Goldfish (#litres_trial_promo)
About the Author (#litres_trial_promo)
Praise (#litres_trial_promo)
By the Same Author (#litres_trial_promo)
