B. H. Friedman

Coming Close is what the author calls "alternative autobiographies"--four stories, each dealing freely with different, though sometimes overlapping, material through which we understand the complexity of a man's life. In the previously unpublished novella "Watching Father Die," a son sees his father die--both as physical man and psychological symbol. At the same time, the son watches himself die, and cool rage balances warm compassion. "Drinking Smoke," and "Moving in Place," have both been published in prestigious literary magazines--New American Review and The Hudson Review. Like the novella, each is concerned with an obsession. "Moving in Place" received a Fels Award of the Coordinating Council of Literary Magazines as one of the five best stories of the year. Finally, "Choosing a Name" focuses on how a man who is nameless, though precisely identified in the first three stories, comes close to being B.H. Friedman. Altogether, the four stories reinforce one another to become a coherent, multi-faceted self-portrait.