The​​ Spirit in My Shoes
John Michael Cummings

Featuring twenty-three stories, John Michael Cummings’s debut story collection brims with the vitality and complexity of our shared humanity. In tales that conjure comparisons to John Updike, Raymond Carver, and William Gay, Cummings tells the truth about loneliness, relationships, and the common struggles we all face with prose both precise and vibrant. Cummings’s voice, assured yet questioning, will stay with you long after you’ve finished The Spirit in My Shoes.​​

To pre-​order directly from the press, email cornerstone.press@uwsp.edu​

​Praise for The Spirit in My Shoes

​“Alternatingly funny, touching, and at times surprising, but wholly satisfying in its weight and depth.” —Kali White, author of The Monsters We Make

“A remarkable collection of stories thrumming with subtle probing humor and quiet insight.” —Aimee Parkison, author of Girl Zoo

“In the flawed, indomitable spirits of these characters, we see ourselves. An unforgettable collection.” —Gerry Wilson, author of Crosscurrents and Other Stories

“A wonderfully thoughtful work by an obvious master of the short form.” —Sung J. Woo, author of Skin Deep and Everything Asian

“In the wide range of Cummings’s concerns, readers will find not only much to contemplate but also much to celebrate.” —Ron Tanner, author of Far West and Missile Paradise