Miracle Boy and Other Stories

(Press 53) Benedict’s first new book in 14 years is a collection of short stories. The title story, “Miracle Boy,” is a tale about schoolyard bullies. One critic wrote, “Miracle Boy is a beautiful collection — immaculately crafted, moving, surprising and sustaining. A book full of dreams of wonder and horror, tenderness, brutality and confusion — each shot through with a shattered humanity. A remarkable achievement and a testament to the power of the short story form." A short-story writer and novelist, Benedict is an English professor at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.