Simplify

From the author of the acclaimed novel Living Dead Girl, a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, come twelve haunting stories about people caught somewhere between love and madness. Simplify mines the often surreal terrain of people on the margins of life: from the man with a photo of Elvis bleeding on his wall in "Comeback Special," to the profoundly troubled boy genius of the title story "Simplify," to the family that must traverse "The Distance Between Us" to finally get to the truth about their son the murderer, each story hums with sharp drama, mystery, wonder, and startling humor. Simplify, the first collection of short fiction by Tod Goldberg, portrays a world where redemption, hope, and violence are never too far apart. It is the inaugural volume in the Other Voices Book Series.

Tod Goldberg is the author of the novels Living Dead Girl and Fake Liar Cheat. His short stories have appeared in numerous magazines and journals, including Other Voices, The Sun, and Santa Monica Review, twice earning a Special Mention for the Pushcart Prize. He teaches creative writing at the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program.