Thomas Allbaugh

Subtle Man Loses His Day Job and Other Stories Thomas Allbaugh

These are stories that move to unexpected conclusions. A man returns from a failed trip to California convinced that he must act on the knowledge that subtlety is his superpower. An English teacher discovers he now lacks language to communicate with his wife and family. A high school senior seeks escape from his parents' separation by joining a rock band, and he is not prepared for the unintended consequences that result. A young woman, with only so much time left in the getaway car to persuade her boyfriend that she belongs in his origin story, discovers the deeper story hidden in his origins. These are stories, some set in the Side Step Tavern or somewhere nearby, that offer destinations we might expect if we were to listen more closely to our neighbors and, perhaps, to our own hearts.