Eminent Domain (Iowa Short Fiction Award)

Ten stories deal with a grieving son, a junkyard owner, fishermen, farmers, the rescue of a wounded mountain climber, and country life With both humor and poignancy, Dan O'Brien explores the lives of his diverse characters. In 'The Inheritance, ' a businessman goes fishing after the death of his father and realizes, through memories he tries to evade, the richness of the inheritance his father has left him. 'Eminent Domain' tells the story of Willy Herbeck, who's 'dirty, sloppy, unsociable, old-fashioned, moody, bullheaded, and ugly.' But he's also 'got class' and is willing to go to extremes to keep from selling his junkyard to the government Winter cat Cowboy on the Concord Bridge Seals Eminent domain The inheritance Weightless The Wild Geese Strand of wire Final touches The Georgia breeze.