In his ninth book and fifth collection of stories, Jacob M. Appel introduces readers to a diplomat's wife who attempts to seduce her chimney sweep through Norwegian lessons, a minister whose dead wife is romantically involved with Greta Garbo, and a landlord menaced by a rent-delinquent mime.

“An original, compelling, and provocative exploration of ethical issues in our society, with thoughtful and balanced commentary. I have not seen anything like it.” —Alan Lightman, author of Einstein’s Dreams Drawing upon the author’s two decades teaching medical ethics, as well as his work as a practicing psychiatrist, this profound and addictive little book offers up challenging ethical dilemmas and asks readers, What would you do? A daughter gets tested to see if she’s a match to donate a kidney to her father. The test reveals that she is not the man’s biological daughter. Should the doctor tell the father? Or the daughter? A deaf couple prefers a deaf baby. Should they be allowed to use medical technology to ensure they have a child who can’t hear? Who should get custody of an embryo created through IVF when a couple divorces? Or, when you or a loved one is on life support, Who says you’re dead? In short, engaging scenarios, Dr. Appel takes on hot-button issues that many of us will confront: genetic screening, sexuality, privacy, doctor-patient confidentiality. He unpacks each hypothetical with a brief reflection drawing from science, philosophy, and history, explaining how others have approached these controversies in real-world cases. Who Says You’re Dead? is designed to defy easy answers and to stimulate thought and even debate among professionals and armchair ethicists alike.

South Dakota reigns with Brookings as its jewel. Brookings, SD residents, whether former or current, know Brookings, SD enchants and delights. Andrew Bushard lived the first decade of his life in Brookings, SD, so Brookings, SD has a place in his heart. Because Brookings, SD's experiences have blessed Andrew Bushard, Andrew Bushard wrote this booklet to praise Brookings, SD. When you want to cherish Brookings, SD's experiences, kindly choose this booklet. 26 pages; 25 poems.

"[B.C. Edwards] is a writer possessed of a quicksilver anarchic imagination and I recommend his fiction highly to all and sundry."--Patrick McGrath From "My Recipe for the Best Tuna Salad in the World": 'Malcolm,' 'I've finished clearing out the apartment, you boy-hungry mongoloid. The last of your things are in the vestibule. I'd come pick them up soon, as I'm sure you're aware, the front door won't shut completely and the glass has been broken in and so the rain is doing a number on that collection of forty-fives you inherited from your father but never got around to playing a single one of.' 'Meanwhile, as requested, here is that recipe for tuna salad that you've enjoyed so much over all of these apparently bitter years.' Every story in 'The Aversive Clause' has its own unique world: the quiet moments of a couple's destruction as one inexorably turns into a monster, a girl trapped in a tree at the end of the world, acrobats hired to tumble at an oil tycoon's birthday, an entire city come to life to terrorize a dwarf.B.C. Edwards is a producer at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater and attended the graduate writing program at The New School in New York. The winner of the 2011 Hudson Prize for Fiction, he is the author of the collected stories "The Aversive Clause" (Spring, 2013) as well as two collections of poetry "To Mend Small Children," (February, 2012) and "From the Standard Cyclopedia of Recipes" (Spring, 2014). He was raised in Newburyport, Massachusetts and lives in Brooklyn.

"On the outside, Dr. Jeremy Balint is a pillar of the community: the youngest division chief at his hospital, a model son to his elderly parents, fiercely devoted to his wife and two young daughters. On the inside, Dr. Jeremy Balint is a high-functioning sociopath--a man who truly believes himself to stand above the ethical norms of society. As long as life treats him well, Balint has no cause to harm others. When life treats him poorly, he reveals the depths of his cold-blooded depravity. At a cultural moment when the media bombards us with images of so-called sociopaths who strive for good and criminals redeemed by repentance,The Mask of Sanity offers an antidote to implausible tales of evil gone right. In contrast to fictional predecessors like Dostoyevesky's Raskolnikov and Camus' Mersault, Dr. Balint is a man who already has it all--and will do everything in his power, no matter how immoral, to keep what he has."--Amazon.com.

"I am happy to report that the United States has its own Chekhov in Jacob Appel. His stories illuminate the kind of questions that keep us awake at night-Is this love? How do I know for sure? Is anything certain in life? Whether they deal with adolescence, middle- or old-age, Appel's stories depict with poignancy and quirky humor exactly what is at stake. "The Bigamist's Apprentice" made me laugh out loud and should be required reading for anyone with a relative disabled by dementia. These are some of the best short stories I have read in a long time."