An exceptional collection of literary triumphs that showcase the variety and vibrancy of the modern short story, Your Pick is recommended without reservation.

A uniquely powerful and thought-provoking collection of short stories. With Your Pick, V. S. Kemanis truly proves herself a mistress of brevity and short-form literature. From 'Rosemary and Reuben' and their pursuit of “the complete synthesis and perfect harmony of taste, touch, smell and sound," to the heart-wrenchingly haunting 'Dust Of The Universe,' each of the stories collected here present the reader with a very different perspective on time and place from which we explore the boundaries of real and imagined realities. Melancholy or mischievous, triumphs and tragedies, all are briefly illuminated as the most intimate aspects of relationships are laid bare. Underpinned by a philosophical tenor, the search for meaning runs through many of the narratives whilst examining the ways in which people often fail to connect. This is superbly articulated in 'Reckoning' and the gulf between the inner worlds Arthur and Thomas Henry inhabit, with one of them unaware they are in fact a fulcrum for change in the other. With short-form fiction, prose can often be so lacking in ornament as to almost feel bereft of life but Kemanis brings an emotionally charged sense of immediacy to her words which is wholly addictive and unerringly authentic.

Five-Star Rating from Readers' Favorite:

Life is full of snippets, some true, some made up. When life becomes a story, there are many versions, multiple scenarios and tangents. And then there is the clever weaving of fact with fiction and point of view. Author V.S. Kemanis does this expertly, one story at a time. The reader is instantly immersed in the stories the author weaves, never wondering whether or not it’s a true story or one that was made up. The telling is the art: the setting, the plot, the characters all weaving their mysterious magic through words, metaphors and similes singing the ambiance of all that makes the story real and alive. The story is as much the metaphor as the minuscule metaphors woven into the telling. In Rosemary and Reuben, the high class restaurant that requires a reservation at least a year ahead is not about the food and fine cuisine. There isn’t any, really. It’s not about the taste or the sense of savoring a good meal. There isn’t anything with taste to savor. It’s about the experience. The ambiance. It’s about the story. In many ways this collection is like that. It’s about the story. Rich in metaphors and intensely provocative descriptive passages, these stories are to be tasted, savored, enjoyed and read over and over again. 

Your Pick: Selected Stories is a powerful tribute to this author’s mastery of the art of creating not just a good story, but a story that needs to be read many times to appreciate the full power of its presentation. From themes of love (acceptance and rejection), to racial issues, to life’s unexplained tragedies, and everything in between, this collection presents a raw view of life. The author has a knack of creating a plot out of something very simple, like the meal served in a high class restaurant (Rosemary and Reuben), or the destructive nature of tragedy and humanity’s resilience to overcome what was stolen (Pianissimo, Fortissimo). Even the titles allow the reader to dig deeper into their meaning.

The greatest power in this author’s writing is the use of description. From Rosemary and Reuben: “The small foyer is square, dim and hushed like a confessional.” And another one from the same story: “the words are bottled under a well-aged cork.” With my personal love and background in music, I was drawn to the story, Pianissimo, Fortissimo, and the nuances between creator and creation described within: “His music was his voice.” And from the same story, the revelation: “It pushes upward on my diaphragm and tightens my throat into spasm, then just as suddenly washes everything clean and open. A hand straightens my spine, another lifts my chin, completing the inner passageway, my column of sound. I sing!” These stories sing. With both power and conviction.

RECOMMENDED by The U.S. Review of Books

The author notes at the beginning of this collection that these stories are “reader favorites.” If one were to assume that such a label precludes an absence of commonality, one would be making an incorrect assumption. While these tales certainly differ in timeframe, plot, and environment, they all are infused with a microscopic examination of the intricacies of human frailty. As such, they become a bit like a patchwork quilt where individual pieces might initially clash, but their combination results in an overall feeling of warmth and comfort.

Kemanis’ stories run the gamut of experience and emotion, and within virtually every one, a secret is revealed that reinforces or explains behavior. To reveal what’s initially hidden would spoil the reader’s moment of enlightenment, which occurs less often as shock and more frequently as gradual illumination. What do the stories actually include? The same things that life includes: regret, longing, dissatisfaction, friendships blossoming, relationships falling apart, fear, love, loss, hope—all the things that make life simultaneously mesmerizing and mystifying.

Kemanis is a writer of substance. She exposes expressions of despair hidden behind masks of joviality. She hears and conveys what people think regardless of what they say. She creates moments of tension, drama, and pathos in the midst of seemingly benign situations. Proof of this is her tale of a tax audit that will break your heart. A wise person once said there are no boring stories, only boring writers. Kemanis authors the former and is the polar opposite of the latter.