The Problem With Relativity by John Sokol JSOKOL001@neo.rr.com His artwork is in the permanent collection of the Akron Art Museum and other museums and private collections, including the conference room of The Georgia Review. His stories have been published in Redbook and other magazines, and his critically acclaimed poems have appeared in America, New York Quarterly, and many others. Now his stories will be collected for the first time...

Praise for John Sokol's Work "Dealing fearlessly with issues of death, birth, and memory, the short stories of John Sokol explore the motives behind human creativity. His stories move slowly and carefully, delicately revealing the sadness that causes us to write, and exquisitely reminding us of our freedom to do so. His phrasing is perfect and his timing and rhythm are fascinating."—Unlikely Stories "He has a sense of fun, good instincts for structure, and an attractive sensuality" —Paul Zimmer in The Georgia Review The Ohio Distinguished Authors Series THE PROBLEM WITH RELATIVITY 108 pp., 6 x 9, Paper, $16.95 ISBN 13: 978-0-9792091-1-6 ISBN 10: 0-9792091-1-0 Nothing in John Sokol's stories are as they appear -- interesting that the visual artist exposes moments of human folly and bizarre behavior as if he were exposing tricks of light and shade. With a Shakespearan bent for understanding the fundamental principles of "reality versusappearance," one of the stories is actually a modern-day revisitation of a well-known tragedy by Shakespeare. The characters are by turns bizarre, pathetic, and sympathetic, and they reveal Sokol's dark sense of humor at its best, as even just a partial list of the cast of characters shows: Van Gogh at his most humorously neurotic, a jealous, scheming academic, a Peeping Tom, and a nine-year-old girl who can see into the future. All of which, of course, make for interesting narrative premises - but these characters seem so complex and human that they transcend the novelty of their circumstances. And all of the characters are impossible to forget. In other words, he resists the temptation to rest on the clever devices he has created, which results in a gallery of finely-tuned portraits of human disorder and brief moments of clarity. These stories are both accessible and entertaining, with plot twists that will keep the attention of all readers, not only fans of 'literary' writing. They withstand the test of careful critical scrutiny and re-reading. Photo Copyright 2005 by George Lowe The Rowers A Story by John Sokol Click here to visit John Sokol's Website About John Sokol John Sokol's poems and stories have appeared in magazines such as REDBOOK, AMERICA, APPALACHIA, and QUARTERLY WEST. His drawings and paintings have been reproduced on over 50 book covers and in many periodicals, including ANTAEUS, LE MONDE, and THE GEORGIA REVIEW. Now his stories will be collected for the first time ever in book form. John Sokol has also published poems in many literary journals across the nation. His chapbook, KISSING THE BEES, was reviewed by Paul Zimmer in the THE GEORGIA REVIEW, and his full-length collection of poetry, IN THE SUMMER OF CANCER, received reviews by poetrymagazine.com and MUSE APPRENTICE GUILD. Click on John Sokol's e-mail address to contact him.  JSOKOL001@neo.rr.com   Copyright by John Sokol "Leda and the Swan", 1992, tar and varnish on canvas

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