These 13 stories by the author of The Invisible Man "approach the elegance of Chekhov" (Washington Post) and provide "early explorations of (Ellison's) lifelong fascination with the 'complex fate' and 'beautiful absurdity' of American identity" (John Callahan). First serial to The New Yorker. NPR sponsorship.

1 MOM2.5 KIDSZER0 ACHIEVEMENTSAn upcoming high school reunion provokes Holly Reese to reconnect with the person she used to be, the artist formerly known as Holly Dover. At the same time she reconnects with former boyfriend Alex Meyers. As the reunion e-mails mount, Holly regrets the person she's become: a boring housewife with boring hair who yells at her preschool kids, falls short of her husband's American dream, and lacks any personal achievements that she might casually mention to her former classmates. An age-old battle begins between Holly's long-forgotten dreams and her duty to her family. Flying versus Nesting. As with any battle, there will be winners and losers, and there will be casualties. But will there, in the end, be peace?

After this country's darkest day, can pilot Tris Miles fly her way home? Never forget… In September 2001, Tris Miles faces difficult choices. As Chief Pilot of Westin Charter Company, she’s mentoring Jannat, a brash young captain with limitless potential and a shocking secret. An offer to summit the peak of the pilot pyramid entices Tris to quit her job, but an old nemesis stands in her way. Meanwhile, Tris juggles the men in her personal life. A friend-with-benefits pushes for commitment. An ex-boyfriend returns, still in love with her. Unexpectedly, Tris develops new feelings for someone who is already dear to her. On September 11th, Tris and her crew depart Edinburgh for the United States. Just feet off the ground, they are mysteriously ordered back to the airport where they learn of a deadly terrorist attack on U.S. soil—using airplanes as bombs. When Tris discovers that her best friend was a passenger on one of the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center, her world is shattered. With a broken heart and her entire life up in the air, Tris doesn’t know where to turn. Can she find the courage to navigate her way home?

Home is where the heart is Dr. Merry Brenner needs to get home—she's promised the kids at her children's center. So it seems like fate that she runs into fellow Wolf Lake native and small-plane pilot Gage Carson in the middle of the crowded airport. Until their plane goes down, leaving them stranded! When help arrives, Merry's relief is mixed with dread. The bond the pair formed has left her wanting more. As someone who wants to put down roots, Merry knows a nomad like Gage is the last person she should fall for. Only now she's certain the home she's always wanted includes Gage…but will he stay?

This rich volume is dedicated to the astounding South African writer and literary critic Lewis Nkosi (1936–2010). In this book, Nkosi’s celebrated one-act play “The Black Psychiatrist” is published together with its unpublished sequel “Flying Home,” a play on the satirically fictionalized inauguration of Mandela as South African president. Critical appraisals, tributes and recollections by scholars and friends reflect on the beat of his writing and life. An ideal volume for those encountering Lewis Nkosi for the first time as well as for those already devoted to his work. Edited by Astrid Starck, a literary scholar, and Dag Henrichsen, a historian. “Much has happened to me that is worth narrating, worth celebrating, in spite of the regrets and sorrows of exile. My life began under Apartheid until I attained the age of 22, and then subsequently lived in many places and societies, in Central Africa, Britain, the United States, Poland, and during a brief sojourn, in France and, finally, in Switzerland.” Lewis Nkosi in „Memoirs of a motherless child“