<p> In twelve graceful, sensual stories, William Henry Lewis traces the line between the real and the imaginary, acknowledging the painful ghosts of the past in everyday encounters. Written in a style that has been acclaimed by our finest writers, from Edward P. Jones and Nikki Giovanni to Dave Eggers, <i>I Got Somebody in Staunton</i> is one of the most highly praised literary events to take on contemporary America. </p> <p> In the title story, a young professor befriends an enigmatic white woman in a bar along the back roads of Virginia, but has second thoughts about driving her to a neighboring town as his uncle's stories of lynchings resonate through his mind. Another tale portrays a Kansas City jazz troupe's travels to Denver, where they hope to strike it big. Meanwhile, a man in the midst of paradise must decide whether he will languish or thrive. </p> <p> <i>With I Got Somebody in Staunton</i> Lewis has lyrically and unflinchingly chronicled the lives of those most often neglected. </p>