The stories in Jerry Levy's collection, "Urban Legend," are at times both eloquent and graceful, but more often his writing comes off as tough-minded and arresting. His relentless pursuit to get inside the heads of his characters gives his work a psychological edge.
There is the man who, devastated by the death of his fiance, enlists the aid of a rabbi schooled in Kaballah to help him erect a golem in her image; a woman who, unable to find work with her liberal arts degree, decides to rob banks; a woman who slowly drives her manipulating boyfriend mad, or the sculptress about to commit suicide who rescues a cat from a busy highway and instantly gains notoriety. Or, as in ?tolen Words? a man called to clean up the apartment of a woman he barely knew, discovers a treasure trove of unpublished literary works that he hopes will send him on the road to fame, and in ?he Scarf?as a man with high aesthetic values, down on his luck, steals an expensive scarf from a law firm and sets out to find the owner.
Always, Levy? writing is smart and clear, driving his stories ahead with well-paced action and a penchant for capturing the aggressive vigour of people engaged in emotional havoc.
About the Author:
Jerry Levy's short stories have appeared in literary magazines and anthologies throughout Canada, the US, and the UK, including "The Nashwaak Review," "The Flaneur," "Lowestoft Chronicle," and "Pilot Pocket Book." He has a B.Comm. degree from Concordia University in Montreal and a T.E.S. L. (Teaching English as a Second Language) certificate from C.C.L.C.S. (Canadian Co-operative for Language and Cultural studies) in Toronto. Of his varied interests, he has practiced Hatha yoga for many years, studied acupuncture, and performed with a number of percussion music groups. He lives in Toronto, Ontario. "Urban Legend: Stories" is his first book.
