The Sense Of Touch by Ron Parsons

Ron Parsons's writing reflects the northern country where he lives.  He grew up in Michigan and South Dakota, and attended university at the University of Minnesota.  His main focus is the short story.  His stories have appeared in publications such as The Onion, Indiana Review, Storyville, The Gettysburg Review, The Briar Cliff Review and Flyaway.

The Sense Of Touch is Parson's debut anthology.  It contains eight stories that tell of the human longing for connection and the myriad ways we have of missing that connection, due to inattention or missed touch points.

There are stories of immigrants who have difficulties fitting in to a new culture, of friendships that somehow got lost over time, of marriages that start with hope but end up dry and brittle things that crumple and blow away.  The title story, The Sense Of Touch, is about a student who has come from his native Texas to the University of Minnesota to take a creative writing class and find out if he has any talent.  Readers will relate to someone being in an environment totally different from that where one was raised, attempting to make friends and to discover what really makes up one's personality and talents.

While the subject of these stories may sound bleak, that is not the feeling one gets reading them.  They provide hope.  The human animal will never give up that attempt to reach out and connect with others, even if not initially successful.  The stories are quiet and flowing, leaving the reader to contemplate their messages.  This book is recommended for readers who enjoy short story anthologies and for those interested in how the human spirit continues to reach for connection with others.