Books by Bill Wheatley

"Overcast" is a collection of verse written about a middle class family in a 20th century industrial American city. Many of the pieces are narrative, centered on the life of the author's sister whose cloistered life was turned upside down by immersion in Japanese culture. Other pieces are inspired by subjects political and personal, abstract and concrete. The tone is wry and irreverent with a kind of linguistic swagger. They are accessible, even fun to read, and are intended for the intelligent, thoughtful reader. Some are also emotional, regarding the puzzle of life, the certainty of loss, and the depth of feeling created by transience.

A Man Without a Story is about a man whose life is mysteriously crippled, despite his athletic and intellectual gifts. His long search for a purpose and a woman to love leads finally to a near-miracle, a surprising revelation, and sublimely unresolved denouement.