Books by Ron Carlson

A collection of short stories: where strange beach towels turn up in a suburban living room; where the ordinary son of a family of geniuses spins a tale of happiness and disappointment; and where a desperate ex-con with a broken heart must hide out in a desert hotel, only to make a wild discovery.

"Ron Carlson's novel is in the coming-of-age tradition, with the contemporary attributes of humor and cool. . . . I liked Larry for his unpretentiousness, his wry, caring angle on experience." -New York Times

Collin Elder is running away from a "home" for wayward teenagers. Louisa Holz is escaping from her father, a carnival daredevil. Heading west from Arizona, they meet a third member of the novel's family-Will Clare, elderly and forgetful but full of rich memories.