BARRY CALLAGHAN
man of letters
The Black Queen Stories
1982
Fourteen tales about people–the sensual, ambiguous relationship of people to each other and the world they live in; resonant tales about men and women reaching out to each other in their loneliness.
“The Black Queen Stories is finely controlled work, shot through with notes of puzzling beauty and
piercing sadness.” –Macleans
“Gritty textured with a bitter tang that refreshes where sweetness would cloy…Callaghan has the rare ability of expressing the feeling of the inarticulate majority.” –Toronto Star
“…a rich variety of stories.” –Winnipeg Free Press
“Callaghan explores the inner lives of a memorable assortment of Torontonians with wit, boldness and compassion. His ear for the spoken language is acute; his eye for the telling gesture, precise. The Black Queen Stories is a must for all who are interested in the finest of contemporary North American writing.” –Joyce Carol Oates
