Books by Paul J Willis

About the Contributor(s):Paul J. Willis is Professor of English at Westmont College and a former poet laureate of Santa Barbara, California. He has published two previous volumes of poetry, Visiting Home (2008) and Rosing from the Dead (2009), along with an essay collection, Bright Shoots of Everlastingness (2005), and a fantasy novel, The Alpine Tales (2010). Learn more about the author at pauljwillis.com.

Saints and Sinners 2012: New Fiction from the Festival contains a mixture of short fiction representing many genres and styles as well as a diverse number of themes and experiences. The completely-blind, three-tier judging process that was used yield what we think is a wonderful set of stories. All of the Top Ten Stories from this year's entries have been included in this anthology. The top three stories this year explore the depth of relationships in all of their complicated and difficult forms while examining what motivates individuals and where they find comfort in a hostile world. These stories in very different ways examine how individuals make the best out of the circumstances society presents them with as well, as the myriad number of factors that affect and influence individuals' decisions to fight or to let go. The winning story, "Wasted Courage", by Jerry Rabushka is a thought-provoking tale of the unlikely relationship between two men-one white and out; the other black, married and on the down-low-and how classism, racism and homophobia work with fear and intolerance to destroy what could possibly be the best thing either man has ever had. The two runner-ups, "Pink Moon" by Pat Spears offers us a snap shot into the life of a homeless, gay Iraq War Veteran who is a failed poet and song writer and his relationship with a homeless man who despite being illiterate carries around a book, and "Wimpy and Rattlesnake Albert" by Jim Stewart which allows us a glimpse at the moment when two migrant works' lives intersect and they find comfort with in each other's stories. The remaining stories in the anthology deal with the board theme of Saints & Sinners and best represent the variety of genres, ages, genders, classes and relationship dynamics covered in the contest submissions this year.