The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios
1993 • Short Stories
Two young men are friends; one is dying. They must pass the time, precious though it is, so they decide to tell each other, in turns, a story about an Italian family in Helsinki.
A prison warden writes to a mother about the execution of her son. But, lo, he writes not one letter but nine. How does he die? How does each one of us die?
A visitor to Washington DC happens upon a concert held in an abandoned theatre by an orchestra of Vietnam War vets of limited means. The last piece is a composition by one of the members of the ensemble. While poorly played, it is beautiful. He decides to follow the composer to talk to him.
A grandson visits his grandmother. In a cupboard, he discovers a curious contraption, a machine that makes mirrors. How does it work, he asks her.
“A small masterpiece … a serious and convincing work that demands to be read.”
– Guardian (London)
Purchase in
Canada
United States
United Kingdom
Australia & New Zealand
