The Legend of Catfish Joe and Other Stories

In his first collection of stories, spanning the 1950's to present day, Mark Spears chronicles the changing family landscape, the lasting effects of family disputes, and the onset of artificial life. Each story, set in Kentucky, offers poignant insight into the lives of those who cherish growing up in a state that is like no other. Two young boys discover the legend of Catfish Joe while fishing on the Big Sandy in Eastern Kentucky. A young man endures a family funeral, listening to stories and family disputes that have divided them for decades. A grieving father orders an android to replace the child he lost. Margaret Ann prepares herself, and her husband, for God's rapture. Two friends revisit the tale of Sallow Man, a mysterious figure that haunted Lexington, Kentucky for nearly eighty years.