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Contact: Heather Haas
(816) 235-1601*
haash@umkc.edu
 

UMKC’s BkMk Press Publishes I’ll Never Leave You, H. E. Francis’s Chandra Prize-winning book of stories about forbidden emotional territory, unexpected friendships, and family secrets

BkMk Press at the University of Missouri-Kansas City announces publication of I’ll Never Leave You, H. E. Francis’s newest short-story collection, which won the G. S. Sharat Chandra Prize for Short Fiction, selected by Diane Glancy. The nine stories in I’ll Never Leave You depict lost, forlorn souls that bump randomly against the tide of human kindness. It is a book of the bittersweet warmth that comes from a stranger’s kindness and the purging of long-held secrets.

In “The Boulders,” an unexpected friendship develops between the mother of a serial killer and the brother of one of her son’s victims. She must grapple with the question; “What does it feel like to be the mother of a serial killer?” In discussing his writing, H.E. Francis says, “There is so much in the well of us and I try to follow it into that sometimes forbidden territory which many of us do not want to venture into, where sometimes deep sufferings may lead us ultimately to the most rewarding moments of our lives.”

This suffering is evident in “Watching Marie,” a story that explores the sacrifices people make for the ones they love, even at the expense of love itself. In the “Playground,” a divorced woman and her two brothers are fascinated by a mysterious mute woman who enchants the local children as if by “magic.” These are stories of quiet desperation and isolation.

“I like the solid stories of H.E. Francis and the more experimental “turned loose” writing that marbles the collection,” writes Chandra Prize final judge Diane Glancy. “These are haunting characters caught in the web of tight prose.” Glancy, who teaches at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, has published over two dozen books in fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and drama.

 H.E. Francis is the author of ten previous books, over two hundred stories, and numerous translations. His stories have been included in the Pushcart, O. Henry, and Best American Short Stories volumes. His book The Itinerary of Beggars won the Iowa School of Letters Award for Short Fiction, and his book Naming Things was selected for the Illinois Short Fiction Series. He taught for many years at the University of Alabama and received three Fulbright fellowships to Argentina. He now divides his time between Huntsville, Alabama, and Madrid, Spain.

BkMk Press was founded in 1971 and became a part of UMKC in 1983. The press publishes fine literature by contemporary authors. Financial assistance for BkMk Press is provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency, by UMKC, and by private donations. BkMk Press established the annual Chandra Prize in memory of author G. S. Sharat Chandra, who taught creative writing at UMKC until his death in 2000.

 Media review copies of I’ll Never Leave You may be requested by calling 816-235-2558.

The University of Missouri-Kansas City, established in 1963, has the following strategic goals: In 2006: We are a national leader in scholarship and creative activity; We attract, nurture, and develop responsible community leaders; We are an essential community partner and resource; We are a workplace of choice; and We have the resources to fuel our vision.

 * Individuals with speech or hearing impairments may call Relay Missouri at (800) 735-2966 (TT) or (800) 735-2466 (voice).

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