Why?

About the Book

Short stories and poems by Robert Motley, who grew up in the anthracite region of Pennsylvania.

The Pennsylvania stories: a traumatic first day at school, a temperance tale by a loving elderly aunt, the death of the author's father in a bootleg coal mine, a beloved, retarded man who fantasized that he was a relief pitcher for the Yankees, a man who took his stepchildren to an orphanage.

Other stories: an aborted affair between an expatriate Irish woman and her former fiancee, a CEO's desperate efforts to save her failing internet company, a man's fantasies triggered by his appearance in a student film, a fiftieth high school reunion where everyone is a stranger.

About the Author

Robert Motley, born and raised in a small mining village in Pennsylvania, studied physics at Penn State and Princeton University. Until his retirement he worked at the Plasma Physics Laboratory at Princeton. For the past few years he has written short stories and poetry.