The Lizard And Other Stories

The Lizard and Other Stories (Chaudiere Books, 2009). Starting in 2019, copies are available from Invisible Publishing.

• READ - Click here to read the seven reviews of The Lizard and Other Stories
• WATCH - YouTube - video of Michael reading at the launch (Tree Reading Series, November 2009)

The Lizard and Other Stories reminds us of the bright spark when comedy and tragedy collide. As one character says after a nearby building explodes: “Life is a strange and multi-glorious thing.”

Stories in this collection appeared literary magazines and anthologies, including:

• 05: Best Canadian Stories (Oberon, 2005)
• IV Lounge Nights (Tightrope Books, 2008)
• Writing at the Edge: Fiction That Takes Risks (Siren Song Publishing, 2007)
• Desire, Doom & Vice: A Canadian Collection (Wingate Press, 2005)
• Grunt & Groan: The New Fiction Anthology of Work & Sex (Boheme Press, 2002).
• Fiddlehead, lichen, Plum Ruby Review, Front & Centre, Word Riot
• Stories in this collection won first prize in the Qwerty short fiction contest (2004) and the Word Literary Calendar short fiction contest (2001).

The story “Flight” was published as a chapbook by Mercutio Press (2006).

The Lizard and Other Stories probes hearts in conflict. Love and the frailties of existence are the obsessions of this collection. The stories showcase absurdity and humour.

Culminating with a post-9/11 trilogy, these stories move from the startling present to the outer reaches of mythological time. They include a retelling of The Book of Job featuring that most traditional trickster, Crow. A confessional adulterer. Some magic pills. A son’s awkward advice for his father. And a small reptile that keeps his host up at night and his girlfriends on edge.