The Blues and the Oranges

Stories of overcoming isolation, solitude, and estrangement filtered through the experience of geographical restlessness and existential dissatisfaction.Eric Sheridan Wyatt's story collection, The Blues and the Oranges, features eight stories populated with the varied and complex characters readers have come to expect from the author: A teenage girl, fenced in by her life at a car impound lot dreams of freedom; an old man approaches the twilight of a lonely life as he remembers a long-lost, might-have-been love; a veterinarian cries every time he euthanizes a pet and wonders if he's chosen the right career; a former pro baseball pitcher fantasizes about raising chickens; a little person mourns the loss of agency-and income-after a band of "concerned citizens" decide his job is too humiliating.Despite their differences, each of Wyatt's captivating characters shares the suspicion that something fundamental is missing from their lives. In the effort to fill their perceived missing piece, these characters struggle toward some more-authentic self. Sometimes these characters fall for yet another false hope: The open road, a change of career, a new location, yet another not-quite-love. Occasionally-and despite misguided efforts-they stumble into something more.